A Return to a Familiar Story
by Briarfox
Summary: The familiar antic disposition we all play. Who can write a summary of a story that I myself don't know what will happen?
1. Miscommunication is a Bitch

Miscommunication is a Bitch

Peering around the hallway, the figure of a young woman moved silently, placing her foot where she knew no sound would occur. Swift and with stealth she descended the staircase and made her way to the door. A turn of the knob and she was free. Although not a Romantic, she played with idea of being a nocturnal one. Breathing in the night air, the woman ran out to the lawn and hummed songs that would enter her head as they pleased.

The young woman was none other than our familiar friend Jessica Abraham. She still resented her name, but beyond that she had changed a great deal. School follies were leaving and the prospect of a new life was the chief aspiration. College brought with it a great deal of freedom, which every 18 year old dreams of. With her new found mind set came the action of escaping at night since the weather permitted such actions. Summer was fast approaching, quite a while since he left. Two months…she thought of him again. Silly her. He was gone, she promised herself to stay strong, but it was awfully hard to do so when she was visited by a fedora clad gentlemen every other night in her dreams.

"It's of no matter," said the nocturnal lady as she stared up into the sky, "graduation is not far off and then I will be able to escape from this place." She always wanted to escape but to where she never really knew. Her wants were very half thought through, but all she knew was that staying here was not what was in the best of interests.

With a sharp turn toward the house, sudden and from no apparent stimuli, Jess ran back to her home and again returned to her odd dreams that betrayed her wish to stay unhurt. Down in a more humid and balmy climate, the said fedora wearing man was sitting aimlessly staring into space.

"Hey, did you hear anything I just told you?" an angered man in a red jacket retorted.

Brought back to reality, the gunman quickly remarked, "No, your voice is so high pitched – probably only dogs can hear it."

"Oh, so _you_ heard it then," the before insulted man now laughed at his own joke while the latter merely mumbled an incoherent response.

"Lupin, as much as I enjoy your constant prattling, I must ask you to get to the point in whatever you were attempting to tell us," said the until now silent samurai.

"Right, well, I don't know about you two, but this Brazilian heat is hot as a crotch and by that I mean the crotch of an 80 year old man with a prostate the size of a walnut. I need to get out of here and by the two of your tempers, we all need to leave. As far as prospects go, I found there is to be a huge benefit ball in Washington D.C. for the children, or so they say. It's actually a huge cover up for some illegal campaign fund raising. Well, we can't have them cheating the children, can we?" The last part was added with a wink and smile but neither companion made any verbal reaction. Of Goemon Lupin received the nod of approval, but from Jigen he got nothing.

The man in the black suit hadn't heard much beyond the fact that they were going back to D.C. He knew Lupin picked that place for some reason other than the heist.

"He probably knows about Jess," Jigen thought to himself, "It's none of his business to interfere, I can handle the situation myself." He looked up to his friend and saw the master thief looking straight at him as if knowing what he was thinking. Getting up, Jigen left the room leaving Lupin convinced of his own suspicions.

"Jess, it isn't right to be left alone all the time," Kim remarked as the two young ladies sat down to watch TV.

"Listen, when my dad leaves I am able to do as I please and come and go like a stray cat. I haven't found a home I feel right in, so for now I enjoy playing the part of the stray."

"You speak in the oddest way sometimes."

"I always say odd things like that, its part of my charm. Now, how are events in your life?"

"Well…wait, you are throwing me off the subject again. Are you sure you are alright with being by yourself? And what about that guy…" but Kim was cut off by a sharp glance from the Jess. "Right, well my life is going fine I guess…"

Whatever Kim related to Jess for the rest of the night was lost on her. Her trail of thoughts was heading in a direction she never enjoyed speaking of, so the usually talkative lady let her friend speak for the night. The thoughts continued on in such a way that she found herself in class the next day quite unsure how the previous night played out. The only reason she came to was a sudden shaking of her shoulder by the teacher.

"Jessica, one of the administrators needs to speak with you." With a blush at being called out for not paying attention, she slipped outside to see what trouble she was in.

"Jessica Abraham, right?" the familiar administrator asked.

"Yes?"

"You do not have the sufficient amount of credits to graduate and need to start planning for summer school."

"WHAT? That's impossible! I haven't failed a class in my life; much less receive lower than a B in a course. You must have made a mistake."

"You little overachiever," smirked the administrator.

"What? Is this some kind of joke?"

"Yea," the administrator began to laugh, but this time the laugh was very familiar. "I'm sorry Jess, I had to do it, and it was so easy." The "administrator then pulled off his mask and revealed the all too familiar face of Lupin III.

"Oh, you bastard! Don't freaking do that to me when I'm about to graduate. Wait, why the hell are you here anyways?"

"Right, listen," his voice got low as he explained his sudden appearance back in her life, "with the huge convention in the city, we can't get hotel reservations as everything is booked up, well reservations at anywhere worth staying. So…"

"So, you were wondering if you could stay with me?"

"Yea! How nice of you to help us thanks!" He began to leave but was stopped by a grab of his arm.

"Lupin, you can't stay here."

"Yes I can. Your dad is gone for a week and a half."

"How did you…?"

"I'm Lupin III; don't ask silly questions like 'how?'"

"OK, whatever. But really, you can't stay…"

"Jess."

"And what if my dad found out…"

"Jess."

"And I'm not sure it's really right for me to see…"

"JESS! Listen; think of it as payback for not leaving you to die at the Smithsonian, OK? We are really in a bind and I will make it worth your while with a cut of the profits among other things." The last part was said with a quick glance from the not so gentlemen thief at Jess' chest and was responded with a slap to his face. "Damn."

"Fine then, but you must be gone before my dad returns and keep your eyes on my eyes you horny boy." Her own remark produced a smile on her face that put Lupin at ease.

"Great, oh yea, and I swiped these from the office," Lupin produced excused absence passes, "want one to get out?"

"No, I need to learn this crap. By the way, someone will have to sleep on a couch, but make yourselves at home." Lupin left with a wave, donned his mask again and walked right of the school. "What have I gotten myself into?" the brunette muttered to herself.

The return home was done with some hesitation. Jess stepped slowly out of the car but continued singing what had been currently playing.

"Our hostess has returned. Listen gentlemen, it took a lot to get her to comply with this so be on your best behavior. That means no smoking in the house, this pertaining to Jigen and I, and here she is!" Lupin flashed a smile and nudged Jigen to do the same.

Jigen was already happy to see her again, although his somber expression didn't exactly show it. He wasn't an extrovert like Lupin and kept most of his reactions to a mere mouth twitch. Goemon for his part expressed his thanks through the usual dry speech, but Jess just kept walking straight to her room past the men in the living room.

"What was that all about? Did you piss her off, Lupin?" the gunman whispered to his friend.

"No, at least I don't think so…" Further reasoning was shut off as the brunette reemerged from her room in workout attire and claimed her destination to be the gym and that there were some old pork chops in the fridge if they were hungry. The three men were baffled and shrugged their shoulders as they thought she was just in a bad mood.

Unfortunately the usually complacent lady kept with this odd quietness all through the night. Goemon and Lupin thought nothing of it as the former was meditating and the latter was planning the upcoming heist. Jigen on the other hand was bothered by the cold shoulder he was receiving. When his two counterparts had gone to bed, he got up to talk to her, but seeing this sudden advance Jess made her way to her room.

"Let's have a chat," he said with command more so than suggestion as he blocked her escape. She wasn't going anywhere, so Jess complied with a heavy sigh and seat in the nearest chair. "What has you acting like this?"

"Are you serious?" she inquired with some shock.

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't serious."

"Maybe it is the fact you left with no warning or goodbye." She was being sarcastic and though Jigen usually thought this a good attribute she possessed, he wasn't appreciating it at the present moment

"What? That's crap. I left you a note explaining everything."

"I never received said note. For all I know you're just covering your ass. To be honest, I don't appreciate being used like a cheap whore." While she said it all very calmly her eyes had narrowed and the corners of her mouth curled in an angry fashion.

"Listen, I did leave you a note. You receiving it seems to be some friggin' mystery. I didn't just up and leave with no explanation and I don't think you're some cheap whore."

"Just some girl you can come back to when you feel like it? Right, got it." She didn't let him explain any further as she was ready to cry and didn't need him seeing it. Instead she got up and left him sitting in complete bafflement. He heard a door quietly close, got up to try and clear things up but ended up standing outside her door.

"Something happened to piss her off bad," he thought to himself while contemplating if he should knock on her door. "She doesn't even yell and scream like most girls. A silent angry; this isn't good at all." The gunman decided to make his plead the following day so as to let her blow off steam and for the fact he didn't want to draw attention to his alleged slip.

The dark of night had approached and so did the appearance of the young woman making her nocturnal escape. The path was well known and no noise was made, but her movements didn't go unnoticed. With a flick of the wrist she turned the knob of the door and made her way outside. The grass was warm tonight and allowed her to do some star gazing as she hummed her wandering tunes.

"It is awfully late to be out," a voice from above remarked.

With a jump, Jess came to her feet, but realizing who it was settled back down on the ground again. "Have you taken to scaring me then, Goemon? Come down from that tree and talk to me like a normal person."

The samurai complied and came down from his post to sit by the reclining brunette. The two sat in silence for bit, appreciating the night or merely feeling a bit awkward.

"He would never mean to hurt a woman, unless possibly Fujiko, but he especially wouldn't mean to hurt you. Whatever he did you must do the honorable thing and forgive him."

"For someone so observant, you are rather unknowing in the ways of women. We are so complicated that we can't even figure ourselves out sometimes."

"That may be so, but I know the true nature of that man whom you are angry with and he has taken a liking to you that both Lupin and I have noticed. Jigen will never say a word about how he is feeling, but his body language explains all."

"Is that so? He has an odd way of showing it then with just up and leaving."

"You must understand he has a duty to perform and the fact that we aren't allowed to contact others while on jobs prohibits much interaction with the outside world. We do that so as to keep our loved ones safe, no to shut them out. To be honest it was a huge stretch for Lupin to stay at your house, but since we had no other option, it had to be done."

Jess was silent for a moment. She didn't like being convinced her anger was ill founded, but saw no loopholes in the samurai's explanation.

"Thank you," the brunette whispered and leaned over to give her rock of reason a hug for his guidance.

"Uh, this is unnecessary…" But, she had already embraced him which led the usually modest man to blush. The thoughts rushed back to the night he watched over her after the stealing of the Hope Diamond. It led to his right arm reaching around her, but at that point it was too late as the now content lady walked away to go inside. His right arm moved quickly back toward his body, pretending his lapse was merely by accident. "I must transcend this."

The interaction didn't go unnoticed, though, as Jigen had woken up right when he saw the flash of the escaping woman. He had watched the entire act, but never heard a word. Not knowing what to think, he scratched his head but felt slight anger inside of him rise. His resolution on the matter would be considered in the morning as he went quickly to his bed so that Jess would never know he had seen her.


	2. Transition

Transition

"Why don't we just use the other bathroom?"

"Because she said we couldn't."

"But we have been out here for a friggin' hour!"

"I know and you smell like a friggin' trash truck, but just let her be…"

"No, screw that. She's had her time ten fold, she's coming out now." The usual calm and cool Lupin had had his fill of waiting. "JESS, COME OUT RIGHT NOW! YOU HAVE BEEN IN THERE FOREVER!"

"Shut the hell up, Lupin. I'm almost done." A moment later the cause of the two men's wait opened the door to the only bathroom in the house revealing a transformed version of their hostess.

"Where are you going?" asked Jigen.

"It's Saturday, I'm not going to just sit around like a lump. I do that enough in school anyways. No," she remarked as she fashioned an earring in, "I'm going on a lunch date with this guy I know and then my usual loser night with Kim. I'm getting all the fun in since _he's_ coming home."

Lupin looked to Jigen and whispered, "_He_?"

Jess heard him though and answered, "yes, _he, _also known as Joe. The one man in the world I absolutely detest. It's of your extreme resemblance to him that I noticed you all at the museum anyways." She stared at Lupin a bit and added, "Yea, he even used to have those ridiculously long sideburns."

Jigen remembered all too well the story of Joe. Jess related it to him that night he came back over some burnt grilled cheese sandwiches. "Whoa, how did I remember all that," he thought to himself. But with that memory came the overall disgust he had with the mentioned man and how he messed with Jess.

"Whatever, it's of no concern. I will be home around 1 AM tonight. Toodles." With a wave, she sauntered to her car and drove off for the night.

"That gives me an excellent idea," the master thief remarked with a devilish grin.

"OK whatever, I'm going to take a shower than," but he was stopped by a locked bathroom door. Goemon had slipped into the bathroom while the other two men were distracted with conversation. "Well, son of a bitch…"

When Jess arrived at her aforesaid destination of lunch, she was greeted by an overexcited thin man in a suit. His hair was combed back in such a fashion as to denote possible style, but his messy tie and crooked glasses made his overall appearance detestable.

"Oh no," Jess thought to herself, "He's dressed up for a reason." She put on a fake smile and embraced the jumpy man who was possibly a little too happy to see her for comfort. He motioned for her to sit down and attempted to take her hand.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"Listen, I asked you to come here today because I have something of extreme importance I must tell you."

"Oh, crap," Jess thought to herself, "I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this." She began to recline further back in her chair to keep herself as far away from slightly overaggressive man who was continuously leaning towards her.

"Jess, through all the conversations we had…"

"What conversations? I never talk to this guy…" she thought.

"…I have grown so attached to you. You give me butterflies every time you say a word… and just everything about you makes me so excited."

"Gross, I don't need to making this guy any more excited than he is," Jess mused to herself as she continued to try to release her hands from his kung-fu grip.

"So, my question is this: I sense a real mutual attraction between us and was wondering if you want to give us a chance?"

Suppressing her initial reaction of throwing up and/or screaming, Jess decided to take the polite route and said, "I'm sorry, I'm going to have to decline." The boy across from her, although very sweaty at this point, clutched her hands tighter, so much that it began to hurt. "Now see here…"

"No, you see you here. How can you just deny me when I have professed my heart to you! This isn't how it's supposed to work. You led me on, that's it!" Jess' hands began to bruise against the rage he exerted through being rejected.

"Get off of me this moment," she said in a low and stern tone. When he didn't slacken his grasp she took matters into her own affair. With a swift kick under the table to his shin and another to his crotch, the brunette was finally free. While the man was groaning in pain at being given his justice, Jess threw some money on the table for the drink she ordered and swiftly left the scene. "F-ing asshole men thinking they can tell me what to feel. Bastard."

Since the angered woman didn't want to go home, she chose her next option which was to see her closest friend, Kim. She was the only one in Jess' life our heroine could properly trust. Before getting out of her car, though, she noticed her hands had turned a deep purple. Concealing this would be tricky, but she found some old Drum Major gloves in her back seat that would suffice for now.

"You are very early, I thought we were meeting at 7," a confused Kim enquired when she opened the door to see her friend standing there.

"Something happened so that I was able to break from lunch early. Please let's just do something so I can forget about everything."

"Everything? Hey why are you wearing Drum Major gloves?" Her question was never answered though and Kim attributed it to the quirks Jess exerted every now and then. Jess' behavior, though, was of concern but the small friend left well enough alone. The night itself lent itself to lightening the troubled girl, but not so much that it made her forget.

As she promised, Jess returned home at 1 AM. Another beautiful night out, she noticed. She took a deep breath of air, but instead of clear crisp air, she smelled a hint of cigarette smoke. The source of the smell was the man standing on the porch in the black fedora who had his eyes fixed on the road in front of the house.

"That is a terrible habit, you really ought to quit."

"It keeps me calm enough, how was your _date_?"

She had never called it a date and was a little perplexed at his calling it such but answered, "Well, it was absolutely terrible if you must know."

"Oh," was all he remarked on the subject. The scene was quite odd as the two stood at opposite ends of the porch. Jess hated the smell of cigarettes and refused to get any closer than necessary. "Listen, if it bothers you so much you should just say so," he said with a quick extinguish of the hated cigarette.

"Thanks, but you really ought to just stop altogether. It'll give you cancer and…"

"Listen, I know that." The two were silent for a moment. Jess wasn't exactly in the spirits to be arguing twice in one day. She merely turned her body and looked out to the streets just as the man next to her was. A quick glance to Jigen's left, though, provoked the following question, "Why are you wearing those goofy gloves?"

"It's cold out."

"No it isn't, why are you wearing them?" He could already surmise as the gloves she was wearing were white and slightly translucent and as the day had progressed the bruises had become darker and were now showing through their camouflage.

"Please, it's of no concern, I handled it."

"It looks like _it_ handled you. Who did this? Was it that lunch date guy? What a classy guy to be hurting a girl…"

"Listen," she was becoming angry again, "don't worry about it!"

"Fine, just let that scum bag get away with that shit."

"That's it. You want to see it so bad, here!" She threw off her gloves and thrust her hands into plain view. "He got rough with me and I let him know my feelings on the subject then with a swift kick to his crotch. That's what happened, are you happy?"

Jigen took her hands lightly and looked at them closely, "What a bastard. Let's put some ice on these to get the swelling down." The two went inside where Jess found a bowl and ice and sat down to let her throbbing hands soak. "You certainly have a tendency to get into trouble."

"Tell me about it." While the two sat in silence, Jess remembered what the samurai had told her the night previous and took it upon herself to make amends. "Listen," she began in a low tone, "I'm sorry for the things I said earlier, I realize you can't just drop everything…"

"Don't worry about it." He had forgiven her a long time ago; there was no point in bringing up. "What was that guy's name anyways? I should go show him how to properly treat a lady. Listen, I don't think you should be going on any more outings with this guy…"

"Don't worry; he'll be lucky to see me from a distance after this." With some inspection of her hands Jess declared them better and quite numb. "Thanks for everything, but why were you standing outside so late anyways?"

"In the words of an angry brunette I know 'it's of no concern,'" he said with a smirk.

"Well, if it's of no concern to _you_, I'll be off to bed." But, she was halted when her friend put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I don't want to see you getting hurt anymore. You need to be more careful with the guys you choose to go out alone with. It's just not right to let these guys get off the friggin' hook anyways. Just be careful, OK?"

"Awwww, were you worried about me?" she asked with a broad smile.

"Jess, it's not funny. He could have inflicted some serious harm on you…"

"If it's OK with you," she cut in calmly and stepping toward him, "I don't see myself in any more situations with strange men since I think I found myself a rather good one to look after me." Jigen was silent and stared at the girl who always looked down in such critical situations. She was the hardest person he ever tried to read.

"What did she mean by that?" he thought to himself.

"But for now," she continued with a peck on his cheek, "I'm going to bed."

He had his answer.


	3. A Washington Benefit

A Washington Benefit

As the high school experience was winding down for Jess, so was the time to the benefit heist for three gentlemen. The night prior was one of extreme concentration and stress as Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon sat around the kitchen table with a mixture of blueprints and other assorted plans in front of them. Jess was content at keeping her distance and would only make a presence to ask if anyone needed anything to drink.

"Well gentlemen, that's the plan. Are you sure you want to make the morning errand by yourself, Jigen?" Lupin exclaimed as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Yea, I think it would be best if I handled that detail by myself."

"Fair enough, how are you feeling about it then Goemon?"

"I feel I am prepared," the samurai remarked as he unsheathed his weapon and inspected its blade. "Yes, very prepared."

"Right, I'm off to bed then. In fact Jigen, you should go to bed right now as well since you need all the beauty sleep you can get," Lupin added with a smirk and then stuck his head into the room adjoining and added to Jess, "don't you keep him up too late."

"Yes sir," she said with a salute and a sarcastic laugh. While the thief and the samurai left to their respective quarters, the gunman plopped down on the couch Jess was occupying. The two didn't make eye contact though, and continued staring straight ahead. "What do you have to do in the morning that requires you to be alone?"

"You were listening? It's not polite to eavesdrop."

"It's also not polite to scare the crap out of people, but you had no hesitation in doing that last time you visited."

"Well, that was just funny. Plus, you weren't going to do much with the safety on."

"Hey, my lack of gun skills isn't in question here."

"Right, well, you will just have to see tomorrow."

Not the patient type, Jess thought of protesting, but as it was too late in the evening she complied to just wait it out. The two had never unfixed their forward gaze throughout the conversation and as silence over took them Jess rested her tired head on his shoulder.

The following morning began as clockwork. At 8 on the mark, Jigen was the first to awake so as to complete his errand. He needed no alarm as his internal clock was what he relied on; he didn't want to wake Jess anyways. His shower was quick, breakfast merely cereal, and clothing the same as it was everyday. Just a normal day, if you don't treat it as something special, everything will happen as normal. He was superstitious and relied on that fact to keep him from getting nervous. By 9 he was set to go and left without anyone noticing aside from the young brunette who had rolled into the warm spot he had occupied in bed.

Jigen's drive was short as his destination was only 3 miles away. Exiting his car, he began to walk up to a very upscale house that was on the "right side" of the tracks. Manicured lawns and expensive cars occupied the outside of the houses in this neighborhood, but his main goal was not on the outside of the houses, it was on the inside of one in particular. With a knock on the door, Jigen lowered his hat and was greeted by a tall young man who bore a striking resemblance to Lupin.

"Are you Joe?"

"Umm, yea," the confused young man responded with a yawn.

"Do you know a Jessica Abraham?"

Joe's face changed from total indifference to one of slight horror and then suspicion. "Yea, why do you…?"

"Oh, this is for her," with a swift punch to face the young man was knocked unconscious where he had been standing. With no hesitation and a quick glance around, Jigen took him up and threw him into the trunk of his car. "Bastard."

Everyone was up by the time the gunman returned. He made a quick remark to Lupin that the required equipment for tonight had been picked up. Lupin nodded and continued what he was doing. From now until that night, everyone was silent as they performed their pre-job rituals. Goemon occupied himself with deep meditation, Jigen cleaned his magnum obsessively over and over, and finally Lupin read and reread his plans and escapes. Jess for her part took great pleasure in watching the three men prepare, but as she loses interest in most everything, she decided to retreat to her room to find entertainment.

Finally, when the time had come the three men received good lucks from their hostess and left to their predestined location just in time to dress. The attire – waiters; well, most of the company anyways. The man in the trunk was treated to the Lupin treatment. Still unconscious made dressing him quite easy and as the three stood back to admire their handwork, Lupin remarked that Joe suddenly looked very handsome!

"I can ensure you Inspector Zenigata that the money is quite safe. This Lupin you speak of will have no chance in hell of getting to it," a squat man with a very ridiculous mustache explained to the man behind him.

"You don't know Lupin like I know. He'll come in here like a bat out of hell and take everything. He doesn't just leave a note every time because he's stupid. He does it because he is that damn cocky and good."

"I don't think you understand how state of the art we are here in Washington. First off, Lupin would have to get past security cameras and security guards. The only people allowed down here are the servers as the freezer is right next to the vault. If for some reason he manages to bypass them, he would have to get past the new safe we bought this year that has been promised that no man can crack. Finally, if all else fail, the money is encased in solid iron. Now tell me Inspector, do you still have your doubts?"

"Listen, it's your money, I'm just hear to tell you that Lupin always finds a way."

"Well, you are obviously of no help if all you can do is inform. If you know so much about Lupin, why haven't you caught him?"

"Hey, shut the hell up. I don't need to take crap from a man with a terrible facial hair."

"You should talk. Did you buy those sideburns in the 70's? Actually, I don't care. I must be going. Stay out of the way of the important people Inspector. You are merely here because my insurance requires it."

Zenigata always hated dealing with the targets of Lupin's escapades, but he hated Lupin even more. It was true he knew more about Lupin's dealings than anyone else, but this was because he had been constantly foiled by the master thief. He shrugged off his bad mood and went up to the top floor where the party was to make his rounds. Little did he know Lupin would never make an appearance among that crowd.

A few hours into the party, a trio of servers walked to the front of the hallway the security guards were standing in front of. Two carried a large sack that obviously held something of great size and weight. The one holding nothing advanced first.

"We have a large pig here that needs to get frozen."

"Oh yea, we'll need to take a look inside if you don't mind. Can't be too careful; there's a thief running around, ya know?"

"Oh my!" the server exclaimed. He then proceeded to open up the bag, but as the two security guards leaned forward Lupin, also known as the "server," knocked their heads together with enough force to knock them unconscious. "Goemon, Jigen, if you will."

"Right," the other two servers responded. While one produced his gun and began shooting out the security cameras, the other unsheathed his hidden sword and took to incapacitating all other security guards down the hall. It took a total of 20 seconds to complete and by the end the three men stood in front of the vault. Lupin took his cue and went straight to work in cracking the "uncrackable" safe.

"1, 2, buckle my shoe, and there we go!" With a click, the safe opened to reveal a large block of metal. "HA! Did they think iron could keep Lupin III away? Goemon, please show them the error of their ways."

The samurai made quick work of the metal with his indestructible Zantetsuken to reveal the prize they had been searching for. The three men dumped what had been in the bag onto the ground and loaded the sack with the money. As they left the scene, Lupin closed the door to the safe and reset the lock. With a snicker he then tapped one of the security guards.

"Sir, what happened here? My friends and I came down to put something in the freezer and come upon this scene!"

"Oh no!" the security guard exclaimed as he came to his senses. "Lupin must have come. The safe isn't opened though, that's a good sign. Get out of here now, this is a crime scene!"

"Yes sir," the "server" remarked with a grin. The three men then left without being stopped or persecuted as the rest of the security guards attempted to save face by blaming each other for their down fall.

By the time Zenigata got wind of what happened, he ran down to the cellar to see for himself the damage. He demanded they open up the safe, and when they did they found a very confused and drowsy man.

"Lupin! I finally caught you in the act. You think you are so smooth and here you are caught red handed. The door to the safe must have closed behind you and you had no other way of getting out, ya bastard."

"Huh, what? I'm not Lupin. My name is Joe, what are you talking about?"

"Yea, whatever Lupin. You aren't going to go fooling me with that crap. I believe what I see and what I see is Lupin III!" It was true, the man in front of Zenigata looked exactly like Lupin III, but it wasn't him at all. It was in fact Joe, dressed and groomed just as Lupin would. The three men had used the ill thought of man as a decoy to ensure a safe escape and to enact a little revenge for their hostess. "You're coming with me Lupin," Zenigata remarked as he slapped handcuffs on the confused Joe.

The ride home for the three thieves had been a thoroughly enjoyable one as they heard no sirens following them and no sign of any acknowledgement of what happened. They pulled up to the house in high spirits, but as they got closer, all three men felt something to be terribly wrong

First off, the outside lights were not on. Jess always left them on for them, but they were pitch dark at that moment. Second the front door was wide open and upon further inspection, the house had been obviously broken into. Papers were spread everywhere, drawers were opened and random objects where thrown onto the floor.

"Jess? Jess are you here?" Jigen yelled aloud. There was no answer. "JESS!" The man in the fedora dropped the bag of money as he combed the house searching for the lost woman. Lupin's attention was grabbed by a note and a DVD left on the counter. The note read as follows:

_Dear Lupin,_

_For stealing something so precious of mine, I am now stealing a few things so precious to you. You really ought to be more cautious of just leaving your belongings around. Watch the DVD for further instructions if you wish to ever see a Ms. Mine and a Ms. Abraham ever again._

_Duke Evershine_

"Shit," Lupin mumbled as he sat down.

During his frantic search, Jigen never found Jess. He did find the gun she kept for safety on the floor, though. Leaning over, he picked it up and upon further inspection found the safety was still on. For a fleeting moment a smile raced across his face at his remembrance of her terrible gun skills, but it was quickly erased as began to worry what happened to her. Never one to show his distress, though, he straightened himself out and walked out to see what was to be done about retrieving his girl.


	4. No Mercy

No Mercy

"What's the plan?" the man in black asked in a low voice.

"We take back what is rightfully ours and show them what it means to mess with the Lupin gang. But before I make any final plans, let's see what the ass hole has to say." Lupin then took the DVD that had accompanied the note informing the two girls had been stolen and popped it into the player.

"_Hello Lupin. I would ask how your day is, but I'm quite sure I ruined it for you just as you ruined my fortune."_ It was the Lord Evershine. He was the man whom the gang had stolen a whole suit case of rubies from. Known as the Ruby King because of his almost complete control on the trade, he denied the gold standard and kept all his money in rubies. This mistake led to his complete fortune being stolen on a fateful trip to London. _"It's not like I'm bitter or anything! Anyways, I have two very precious objects of yours and your associate's – seen here."_ The shot cut to the two ladies in a totally sealed off room. It was definantly them, there was no denying it since the one got up and flipped the bird to the camera upon realizing she was being watched.

"That's my girl," Jigen mumbled under his breath.

"_If you wish to see them again, I recommend you bring the rubies you stole from me to this address_ (address was flashed across the screen.) _If you don't do so in the time span of 3 days I will be forced to rid myself of them as they are quite a nuisance. Oh, and by rid, I mean kill them. I wouldn't blame you for not coming, though, since the one is very high maintenance while the other is just plain mean. Remember Lupin, 3 days to bring the rubies or they die."_ The video cut out at that point and Lupin sat back in his chair to think.

Taking revenge was part of the trade he was in, but when his enemies took the one thing most valuable to him, all bets were off. There was going to be no gentlemen like behavior in this operation.

"Jigen, Goemon: gather your things. We're leaving in 20 minutes."

Meanwhile, in a not so disclosed location, two ladies sat in a small white room that possessed no objects save a flickering fluorescent light. One was laying flat on her back with arms behind her head. Her face showed no sense of concern but her eyes reflected all the worry in the world. The other sat idly in the corner, arms crossed and eyes fixed on the other with interest. The two had been silent for 2 hours now, and the complete lack of conversation was too much for the one in the corner to handle.

"Honey, if I don't break this silence I'll go mad."

"Oh, yes, sorry. I'm not much for conversation at the moment. Being captured and threatened will do that to a girl," the reclining lady remarked. "I prefer not to be called honey though; call me Jess."

"Fair enough, I'm glad you are no nonsense. I'm Fu…"

"Fujiko Mine? I know."

Fujiko was very confused. A woman she had never seen or heard of in her life knew who she was. "And how do you know my name."

"Lupin. That's the reason we are here isn't it? I never had this kind of trouble till I met those men." Jess never unfixed her upward gaze. She wasn't thinking much about introductions at the moment. All she knew was that she needed to get the hell out there.

"I'm sorry, are you and Lupin…uh…"

"No, believe me, he's all yours. I did try and tell him to stop being so forward all the time, but I don't suppose that worked much, eh?"

"Then, how do you know them?"

"It's really a very long story that involves many details and many broken ribs." Jess paused for a moment and then continued, "They're using us as bait, aren't they?"

"Yes, as much as I enjoy playing with Lupin, I'm worried as hell for him." Fujiko continued to look at the girl who wouldn't even give her the decency to look at her while she spoke. "One thing I don't understand is why you're here. No offence, but if they wanted Lupin they only needed me," she remarked with a condescending air.

Jess knew the answer, but didn't wish to say it. Nothing of them had been said out loud and saying it now would make it lose some of it's mystery. This just made Fujiko become more heated at being totally ignored on top of not being looked at. "I said, what makes you so important so as to bring you here?"

The quiet brunette turned her head, stared right at Fujiko, and turned right back to the ceiling again. "I guess its to get Jigen here." Jess grimaced at the thought of being used so as to possibly hurt him.

Fujiko was shocked. Her relationship with the gunman was less than stellar, but he had never shown any interest in the opposite sex. To think he could actually get involved with anyone was beyond her comprehension. "Are you serious? You must be his sister or something…"

"No, no relation."

"I just can't believe he would get involved with anyone. He's not much of a romantic."

"I like him just fine," her forehead wrinkled though as she added, "aside from the smoking; that I could live without." Jess then went off on one of her famous random tangents that never had to do with the pressing subject. "Why do people smoke? There is no point. You get all those years of health class with its pictures of gross lungs and whatever and people still do it…" Her rant was cut short when the two women felt a vibration throughout the floor. It was enough to make them both stand up.

"Hello ladies, nice to you are doing well…well, not for long," a rough voice boomed over a speaker. "It seems we have company and since I don't need you both directing attention to yourselves, I need to take a little insurance."

"Shit," the two women muttered under their breath.

"I would say goodnight," the voice continued, "but I don't know if you'll wake up from this sleep." At that moment a green mist began filling the room. The stench of it was overwhelming and caused the two women to fall to the ground.

"It's poison gas!" Fujiko yelled, but her scream was stifled by the toxin entering her lungs. While the two fought off their bodies want of falling asleep, they couldn't hold out too long and were soon lying unconscious.

The loud boom that had caused the women to be startled in the first place came from a loud disruption beyond the house. Outside the gate stood three men; one with a brief case, one with a sword, and the other with a bazooka.

"Nice shot."

"Thanks. Goemon: that should clear out enough for you to take care of the rest."

"Already on my way."

While the man in the fedora and the man in the red jacket sauntered up to the house, the samurai made quick work of any men left capacitated after the first round of attack. Lord Evershine was too cocky for his own good and needed to be taken down a few pegs. There were going to be no stealthy tactics, this was going to be messy and done out in the open. Needless to say, these men were pissed.

With a swift kick to the front door, the three thieves were confronted by Evershine's five last guards. They were fully armed and had their guns cocked. That fact turned moot, though, when without flinching, the gunman with the .3 second draw, disarmed every single of them.

"There's one left bullet for you, Evershine," Jigen said to the overweight man who stood in shock in the back of the foyer. The Lord never saw this coming and thought that with numbers on his side, he would finally defeat the great Lupin.

"Lupin, I am disappointed with you. Usually you send a note indicating when you will arrive," the stout man said as he moved forward.

"When people steal what is rightfully mine, they do not deserve that gratuity."

"Ah, you think are so clever coming in here and taking out all my men, but I still possess the trump card. You see, the women that you claim to be 'rightfully yours' are lying on the floor in the room adjacent poisoned. Oh, don't worry, I have the antidote, but only if you have my rubies."

Lupin then took up the briefcase he carried in, opened it to reveal the red shine of rubies and shoved it towards the Lord. The greedy man picked up the suitcase, picked up one of the rubies and inspected. It was definitely his ruby. He motioned to the men which room contained the girls to which Goemon and Jigen walked to retrieve them.

"Oh yes, you'll be needing these Lupin," Evershine remarked as he threw the antidote. "Give it to them immediately as the time is coming when even that won't save them."

"Right," growled the furious thief. "Let's go." The three men walked out to the car they had hidden outside the compound with their unconscious cargo. Laying the women carefully in the back, they hit the road without a word. Lupin looked behind him to see his Fujiko grimace in pain.

"That's it," he thought. From his pocked, Lupin produced a small remote control with one single button. With one push a loud noise came from behind them. "He'll never bother us again." Lupin had hidden about 10 sticks of dynamite underneath the Lord's precious rubies. With a push of that button came the end of greedy life. Lupin did it all without flinching; his only concern now was getting the girls well again.


	5. Good Morning!

Good Morning

In a backwoods motel somewhere outside a forgettable small town sat three very distraught gentlemen. The cause of their distress lay unconscious on two separate beds. Able to get two rooms conjoining, Lupin sat in one with a pale form of the woman he loved dearly. The room had all blinds closed and was very hazy as the nervous man smoked cigarette after cigarette in an attempt to calm down and think. In the room adjacent lay the other woman. While not ghostly pale like her counterpart, Jess was sweating profusely as she combated a fever. Odd mutterings came from her mouth, but only a few were actual words. Next to her was Jigen who sat in a slumped state as he grew angry at his inability to help. Unlike Lupin, though, he never smoked.

"She hates smoking," he kept muttering to himself and since he wasn't about to leave to go outside, there he sat tense as a guitar string.

Goemon, for his part, was on top of the motel roof keeping watch. They weren't sure if anyone followed them after the little explosion they left behind, so a look out was needed. He was a little relieved to not have to watch the pain on the two girls' faces, but still worried nonetheless. As much as he acted with indifference, he cared for those two.

"How could I be so careless as to let this happen?" the man in red whispered to himself. "I always have plans and plans and backup plans for everything to protect myself. It was so dumb of me to think they wouldn't come after you." He looked down at Fujiko as his guilty conscience continued to barrage him. His hand moved to his pocket again in search of cigarette but his hand was stopped when he felt something on his knee.

A small white hand had laid itself softly on his leg and two large brown eyes looked up at him.

"Lupin…"

"Fujiko! I'm so sorry, are you OK? Is there anything I can get you or is there anything you need? I can just go…"

"I'm surprised you haven't tried to cup a feel yet," she whispered with a smile.

"Well, if you insist…"

"Lupin!"

"I'm just kidding, there is time for that later…or sooner; whatever you like." At that point he was just happy for her to be awake. He still felt incredibly guilty for allowing such a thing to happen to her, but for now he would revel in the moment. In his joy Lupin found it necessary to stick his head in the room next to his to inform of his great happiness.

"Hey Jigen! Guess what?"

"What!" the tense man growled.

"Whoa, calm down. I just wanted to let you know Fujiko is awake, isn't that great?"

"Just peachy."

Lupin glanced over to Jess who still lie unconscious and mumbling. He had almost forgotten that his friend was going through the same thing he had been going through just minutes ago. "How is she?"

"She's trying to break a fever and she won't stop mumbling. Sometimes it's like she says something, like a real sentence, but I can't piece together any of the friggin' pieces." Jigen leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, it was obvious he was stressed and tired.

"Hey man, go outside and walk around or take a smoke. You got to relax or you'll go nuts."

"I'm not leaving," he responded as he glanced at Jess. "Plus, she hates the smell of smoke."

Lupin shrugged his shoulders as he realized his friend was too stubborn on this point to ever give in. Instead he walked back into the room with Fujiko to make sure she was doing well.

When Lupin left, Jigen rested his elbows on the edge of the bed and continued to rub his eyes as a means to ward of the drowsiness that was engulfing him.

"God damn it, Jess; wake up."

"Jigen…"

"Great, now she's mumbling my name. That doesn't help any at all; might as well just stab me."

"Jigen…"

"Jess, you're killin' me…" he continued to say as he rubbed his eyes.

"Fine, I'll just go off and die then."

In a moment, Jigen sat straight up. He recognized that sarcastic voice in a second. His instant joy was confirmed with the site of opened eyes from the brunette who lay in the bed. The surprise of her waking up along with his drowsiness allowed a momentary smile to spread across his face.

"Whoa, hey, don't get up or anything, you just stay there and relax."

"I'll get up if I damn well want to," Jess insisted as she began to sit up, but with that action came a headache sent from hell itself. "OK, you win…" she complied. All the thoughts of the day began rushing back as she remembered why she was in the state she was. White room, loud voice, gas…the gas. She moaned at the thought of that foul tasting stuff filling her lungs. Her recalling was cut short at the sight of her vigil staring at her. "Oh, do I look that terrible…" Jess remarked as she covered her head with the covers.

"No! I mean no, not at all. I'm just…I'm just glad to see you are awake."

Jess was going to laugh, but when the full meaning of that hit her she decided to keep quiet on the notion. He had been awake and stressed out for a very long time. It was written all over his face.

"How long have you been awake?"

"I don't know anymore."

"You need to sleep, sweetie, you look like death warmed over." She paused, realized what she said and continued, "Or tell me a story of slight significance."

Jigen caught her momentarily lapse in guarded behavior. "Well, _sweetie_, I have never been asked to tell a story. What do you want to hear?"

Jess began blushing, but motioned for him to sit on the bed next to her. "I don't care. I ask everyone to tell me a story of slight significance. Usually they just laugh at me or tell me a story where everyone gets laid in the end, which is a very good ending; I'm not going to lie."

"You should be sleeping."

"Well, so should you, so I guess we both lose. That means story; now."

The gunman had no inclination of declining. With the pressure of his guilt lifted temporarily from his shoulders, sleep began to take hold again. As he reclined on the bed next to the small figure of a woman, he took off his hat and scratched his head trying to think of something to entertain her with. Jess had no real intention of listening as she was extremely tired. Instead she cuddled up to his warm body and closed her eyes.

"Haha you didn't last long, eh?" he addressed his not so captive audience. "Well, 'we all get laid.' How's that?" All he got in response was a little moan and the steady decline of her breathing as she descended into slumber. With her silence came his guilt again as he thought of all the things that could have happened. The joy faded from his face and the worry lines grew. He looked down as he felt her arm wrap around his waist. For as independent as she acted, she still needed that sense of security at the end of the day. "Well, _sweetie_, if it's of no concern to you, I'll catch some winks," he said with a tip of the hat over his eyes.

While the two slept soundly, Lupin had stuck his head in (this time a bit more quietly as he didn't wish to stir the same reaction he did last time.) With the sight of both people sleeping, he assumed Jess was in the clear.

"She is fine; we'll leave this place tomorrow."

"Is it true; about her a Jigen?" the now fully revived Fujiko asked.

"Oh my god, yes, but if you ask either of them nothing is going on. Some of the most stubborn people, I swear…and sarcastic."

"Oh, I picked up on that in a second. She's very no-nonsense, though. I'm surprised how calmly she acted through the whole thing. I've had to deal with situations like that before and _I_ was showing more concern."

"I don't know, she's a mystery for the most part…but friggin' hilarious."

"Yea, well you like Jigen's humor for some odd reason, so that makes sense."

"Awww Fuji-cakes, don't be jealous now of another girl! There is only room in my heart for one brunette."

"Shut up, Lupin…and get your hand off my ass." With a quick slap to the face, the conversation ended.

Night came and went and with the morning light shining in through the curtains awoke the man in black. It took him a bit to realize where he was as he had slept for half a day due to the lack of sleep the previous night. Finally remembering what had occurred, he glanced to his right but found no Jess. In fact, she was M.I.A. from the room. Jigen got up and peered into Lupin's room. No Jess, just his friend and Fujiko sleeping. Anxiety began to rise as he ran outside. If she had been taken again he would never be able to forgive himself. His fears were laid to rest when he heard voices above him.

"…and from that the goldfish realized that the true path to enlightenment was not going against the current, but flowing freely with it."

"That was a very…interesting story Goemon. But, I did ask for one of slight significance and that one just flew right over my head. Oh, hey there! Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Uh, yea. How in the world did you get up on the roof?"

"Goemon brought me up here. He's like a cat! A cat with a sweet sword. He still won't let me touch it. Only if I can call it by its true name and since I can't say it my life will just have to go unfulfilled."

While he was glad to see her in such high spirits, he still was feeling the after effects of the anxiety. "That's great, Jess, don't you think you ought to come down now?"

"She is quite safe up here, there is no need to worry," answered the samurai.

Jigen was about to respond, but Jess who half lost interest with her lofty post and half not wanting to make the gunman worry more than necessary, climbed down and went inside.

"Jigen," Goemon added, "a caged bird does not sing as strong and as full of life as the wild bird does."

"I don't give a crap about any friggin' birds," he retorted but he had caught the meaning behind it.

Like Lupin had stated the previous night, the gang left that day. Jess had to be dropped off at her home since her father was returning that night. Before departing, though, Lupin had one last thing to tell her.

"Jess, you have seen a lot and have been through a lot. This is the life we are tied to and I'm sure a certain someone doesn't want to see you taken again. There are two options in such a case. Either you can come with us for a while so we can watch over you or you will need to lie low at home here and never see us again." The sly thief worded his statement that way for a reason so that the choice he wanted her to choose was chosen.

"Can I really come with ya'll?"

"Yes indeed. Of course we will need to disguise it for the sake of secrecy. Expect a letter tomorrow. I'll see you soon." Lupin hopped in the car and left Jess waving to the three men and woman as they drove away. She wasn't much for good-byes and hugs and was very content with knowing she would see them again. The next day she received the following letter.

_To Jessica Lee Abraham_

_Congratulations on being accepted to the Biological Research Abroad. After reviewing you're application, B.R.A is very interested in all the qualities you have to offer and is offering a full scholarship and a summer of studying Biology with some of the leading scientists of the field in Europe. All expenses will be taken care of and tickets will be arriving instantly if you are interested. Please contact B.R.A. at the phone number listed if you plan on attending._

_Best Wishes,_

_L.J.G_

"B.R.A?" Jess thought to herself, "definitely Lupin."

"I didn't know you applied to such an organization," Jess' dad exclaimed at having read the letter, "I assume you are going to do it then, it's a great opportunity!"

"Oh, yea, I applied a few months ago and of course I am going to accept. Who could pass up an opportunity from B.R.A?" Holding in her laughter, Jess left her dad to begin to get her things in order. The next few days were going to busy. With graduation tomorrow and a full summer absence right after it, she didn't have much time.


	6. From Itay, with Love

From Italy, with Love

"Jess NO! You can't leave me! You're always leaving and never telling me when you're coming back. I hate you forever now."

"I'm sorry, at least this time I'm telling you I'm leaving. And shut up, you aren't going to hate me forever."

It was mid June and the two best friends stood in a long corridor with about 500 other students. It was graduation day and everyone was dressed in their cap and gown. Although Jess was at the beginning of the line with a last name starting with A, she ran to the back to find her friend and tell her of her plans. Upon hearing about this proposed leave of absence, Kim folded her arms and scowled at having been left behind.

"We were supposed to do stuff everyday this summer and now you just decided to go. I know this biology crap is important, but why _this_ summer?" the distraught girl exclaimed as she saw her summer becoming quite boring.

As much as Jess had seemed cold hearted, she hated seeing certain people in distress, Kim being one of them. "Kim, I'm not leaving for a biology thing."

"What? Then why are you leaving?"

"I'm going, well, remember the Smithsonian?"

"Um, yea. Wait! This has to do with those guys, doesn't it?"

"Yes, something happened where I need to go with them for a while, plus well…" Jess stopped herself as she didn't want to reveal the real reason she had agreed so quickly to leaving. This didn't go unnoticed by Kim.

"Did leaving guy come back? He did, it's written all over your face. I finally caught you in one of your lies! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh for heaven sakes," Jess exclaimed with a laugh, "there isn't anything going on. Nothing is happening there." That was a lie too, she thought. "But please don't be angry with me. I told you the real reason I'm leaving, well not really, I just told you who I'll be with. I'll try and sneak you postcards, OK?"

"That's crap. You better send me something everyday or I'll never forgive you."

"You know, you have a lot of empty threats. You should stop hanging around with me."

"Whatever," the now smirking Kim retorted.

"Listen, they're calling us to go out, I got to get to the front again. I'll see you right after it all."

"You're leaving me again! Always leaving, never returning." But Jess had already gone to take her place with the A's. It was time to graduate and start a new chapter.

Her last night at home was very hazy when Jess would try to remember what had happened. She knew she went to a huge party with many of her fellow graduates, but many of the details were lost on her. Although she didn't drink, she came home feeling like she did. The next morning didn't bring much in the way of relief.

"Hey, get up. You'll be late for your flight."

"What now?" the confused girl mumbled when her dad began shaking her to wake up. "Ah, right…biology." Jess almost began laughing, but held it in for obvious reasons. "Has Kim come yet?"

"Yea, so get dressed."

Luckily Jess had packed the day previous since she knew she would be too out of it to attempt the task later. That or her anal retentive tendencies were breaking through again. She slipped on the clothes she had laid out and checked herself in the mirror. All was well; she just wished she could shake the headache. Outside waited her friend who agreed to see her off.

"I'll write daddy, and don't worry about me, OK?" The two had depended on each other for three years now since her mom had left and leaving him seemed a daunting task all of a sudden.

"I won't, just don't do something stupid."

"You mean, stupider than usual?" The two laughed and waved goodbye. Jess had inherited her distaste for long good byes from her dad. A wave was sufficient. They knew that they would miss each other; contact was unnecessary.

"Tell me what you learn while you're there!"

"Crap…" she muttered under her breath. "OK DAD!" Jess climbed into the car, turned to Kim and told her she was expected to learn now. "Who learns anymore? Hahaha"

The drive was rather silent aside from a few random comments made by each girl. The two had always found something to talk about and now they road in silence. Only when they arrived at the airport did the conversation flow more freely.

"Ah, Kim, don't cry. You'll make me cry and no one wants to see that. It's like that stupid marching band banquet all over again."

"Well, if you weren't leaving I wouldn't have to cry, now would I?"

"I said I would write, I promise I will. I'll tell you all the interesting things and even the non-interesting things just to fill up pages and pages."

"Fine, I'll just be content to hate you forever for this."

"That's all I ask." The two finally began laughing to ease off the tension. Taking up her carry-on, Jess began walking away. This time she almost felt compelled to give Kim a good bye hug, but instead she just waved. Jess would regret that later.

"I can't believe you are allowing her to come, Lupin," a scowling Fujiko said with a sigh.

"Well, I can't believe we allow you within 100 yards, but you're still here," a sarcastic voice in the corner remarked.

"Oh, shut up Jigen. But really, why is she coming?"

"There are a few reasons, but revealing them would take away from my mystery," the smiling thief responded.

"Or add to your madness," the samurai by the window added.

The attention in the room shifted suddenly, though, when the man in black stood up quickly. Without saying a good bye, he walked towards the door and made a quick remark that he would be back with Jess in about an hour.

"What was that all about?" a confused Fujiko asked.

"Did you notice, Lupin, he waited exactly 5 minutes after when he said he would be leaving?"

"Yea, he was watching that clock like a hawk for the past two hours like it was his job. Who does he think he is fooling us with that crap? He really ought to just admit it."

Fujiko was fully baffled by what she was hearing. She hadn't noticed any of this and felt a bit out of the loop. What did it all mean that he was watching the clock, what did it matter? Fully annoyed at this point, she finally asked, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Jigen." The thief indicated, "He has been watching that clock all day waiting to go pick Jess up. The stubborn bastard won't even admit it. He purposefully waited 5 minutes exactly after he said he would go pick her up just to make it seem like he didn't care. Goemon and I are making bets on when he'll actually say he likes her. I say never, Goemon says when pigs fly."

"How can you two even tell? He wears that hat over his eyes all the time."

"Just trust us, my dear, and do try and be nice to her. There is no need to be jealous; I'll still love you all the same."

"Oh shove it, Lupin." Fujiko didn't know what to think of a new girl coming in. She wasn't used to sharing the female spot light, especially not with someone whom the three men all liked. She had only known this girl for the short time they were held captive and from that she gathered nothing aside from Jess being a complete shut off sometimes. Fujiko's main concern was if this new person could be used to her advantage.

"Go, go, go, go, go…" Jess kept repeating in her head as she stood behind an elderly woman who was taking her time getting out of her seat. The plane had finally landed, and after what felt like the longest flight ever, Jess wanted to get off. It was bad enough that she was antsy after one hour of sitting in class, but 9 hours on a plane was enough to make her go insane. During the entirety of the flight, the sarcastic brunette had kept herself occupied by listening to (to many people's surprise) Broadway music. But, you can only listen to Les Miserables so many times before wanting to gauge your ears out. For now she was content with carrying on her running dialogue in her mind of, "Go, go, go, go, go…"

"Man, where is she?" the man in black thought to himself. Standing by the gate with all the other people made him a bit uncomfortable. Around him he noticed all the waiting lovers. Watching one girl spring into the arms of one of the waiting men took him off guard for a moment, but his gaze returned to the gate. Finally, behind an old woman appeared the purpose of his journey to the airport. She seemed a bit tired and was looking around. Biting her lower lip, she was nervous.

"O where o where the hell are they?" Jess hummed to herself. Her little melody was cut short by the site of a familiar looking man on the fringes of the crowd. "I spy with my little eye something in black!"

Jigen was glad she had spotted him so that he didn't have to make a scene about getting her attention. As she walked towards him a broad smile spread across her face and her eyes lit up just as they had that poker night so long ago.

"That was possibly the longest flight ever."

"Yea, any overseas flight is pretty friggin' terrible. How are you otherwise?"

"Aside from the massive jet lag, pretty good. I still can't believe I'm actually in Italy, then again I'm amazed by some of the dumbest things." Jess' train of thought ended when she began looking around her. To every side of them families and couples were hugging and kissing; the two of them continued to stand still. "You know, we are possibly the most awkward people ever."

"Would you want it any other way?" Jigen remarked with a grin. He looked down for a response but she was looking down again. She always did that when he was trying to read her; it drove him nuts. After a brief pause she finally looked up.

"Let's do something now." Her eyes were so full fire that it alarmed the gunman who was but a few inches from them.

"Well, I told them I would be back in an hour…"

"Please, I just need to walk around after being on the plane." Jess began looking around as if expecting someone to pop up.

"Has anyone been following you? I thought we had taken care of them, but if they are still following you…"

"No, I'm just a little spooked," her gaze turned straight towards him as she continued, "just don't tell anyone, OK?"

Her brief moment of vulnerability produced a smile on the gunman's face. "I'm sorry, _sweetie_, are you scared now?"

"My god, you'll never let me live that down, will you?"

"Nope, it would take all the fun out of life. Here, let me take your bag and we'll go find something to do. They can live without us for a while. If not it will just prove that I really am the brains of that group."

As the pure excitement of getting off the plane subsided and the full realization of being in Italy hit her, Jess realized how unusually close she had moved to the man next to her. She looked up, put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks for getting me out of there."

Her action took him totally off guard as he jumped slightly. That made the brunette laugh heartily which in turn made the object of her laughing scratch his head and smile awkwardly.

"At least I'm afraid of someone killing me and not of a kiss."

"Hey, for all I know it could have been poisonous."

"This is true, you're always hearing about those girls who kill unexpecting men with their kiss of death." The sarcasm was laid on thick, but that was made what made him like her in the first place.

"Alright, fine. Let's get out of here then." The two walked out with Jess doing much of the talking (more so teasing.) She didn't even notice the man to her left walk closer to her than usual.

Dear Kim,

I'm here in Italy and it's quite wonderful. The trip was ridiculously long and of course I listened to my annoying Broadway music, I'm sure much to the dismay of the people sitting next to me. There isn't much to say in terms of happenings as I just got here, but I must admit that I do miss you a great deal and wish you were here so you didn't have to deal with "Extreme" and "Nice." They don't know I'm gone so if you ever need an excuse to get away from them, just say I had a break down or whatever. Try to refrain from giving empty threats…at least follow through on a few hahaha. OK, I'm going to sleep off some jet lag.

From Italy, with love

Jess

P.S. You win. You did catch me in a lie. Something is going on.


	7. A Swing and a Hit

A Swing and a Hit

"Jess, what are you doing?"

"Finding my blind spot," the brunette remarked as she slowly moved her out stretched hand in front of her face. "It says here that you can find your blind spot in your eye site that way. Try it."

Lupin sat down next to the transfixed girl and began imitating her movements.

"Like this?" he asked as he began waving his hand in front of his face.

"Less like an electrocuted baboon. Keep your eyes looking straight ahead and move your hand across your line of vision. When you can't see your hand that's your blind spot." Jess looked across the room and noticed the man in the corner attempting the same action, but very discretely. "Goemon, you just need to go for it. Sometimes it's good to look silly."

The samurai complied and put his hand straight out. "If it is true what you say, this could be to my advantage."

"Jess, I don't see it," Lupin cut in.

"Again, I said less like an electrocuted baboon." Jess leaned over to try and help and noticed the man on the couch trying the new means of entertainment as well. "Jigen, you would probably do better if you didn't have your hat blocking your line of vision.

"If I can see fine enough to shoot, I can friggin' see well enough to watch my own hand."

The sight of the four people waving their hands in front of their faces was certainly comical enough for any sitcom. The fact that Fujiko walked in right as they were all doing it was just the icing on the cake.

"What the hell are you all doing?"

"Blind…spot," answered Goemon as he continued to move his hand in front of his steady gaze.

"You all have gone insane! Lupin, I thought you asked me to come to hear your new plan, not watch you all make fools out of yourself."

"Right," Lupin said as he put his hand down. "I'll figure that blind spot thing out yet…Anyways; I have a new plan that entails two of my favorite things: beautiful jewels and beautiful women."

"This wouldn't have to do with today's front page in the newspaper would it?" enquired the gunman.

"You hit it right on the bull's eye!"

"When have I ever missed?" he added with a grin.

"True enough. As the front page indicates, a Mr. Narcus has taken it upon himself to showcase his great collection of rare jewels. The prize of the collection is the Helios Diamond, named such for its sun-like glow. While the invitations were only mailed to a select group, getting them wasn't the problem. You see, like myself, Mr. Narcus has an affinity for beautiful women and the only way anyone can enter is by bringing a beautiful girl. This is why I have asked Fujiko to come as my date of course, but I need to enlist the help of another young lady…"

Until then Jess had been quiet and rather amused at hearing something was about to happen, but seeing as she was the only other girl in that room the following response was elicited from her, "Wait a second…"

"You heard right, my sarcastic friend, I need you to be there so that I can get Jigen in as well. Goemon elected to sit this one out anyways, but you'll be…"

"I'm sorry," Jess cut in, "but you really must be insane if you think I have the uh…assets to get into such an event."

"I think you have assets enough judging from your prom pictures this year." Lupin pulled out an envelope full of pictures from a month ago when the baffled brunette had gone to her senior prom. "Holy crap, look at that! Your mother let you get out of the house looking that good?"

As the other two men listening began peeking over at the pictures in a discrete fashion, Jess began blushing immensely. She never believed herself to be pretty, just normal, she always thought. People kept telling her that she was, but she always wished they would stop. There only one time in her life she wanted to be considered so by someone, but those days were over.

"Fine, just put those away. I really don't want to know how you got them." Her mood had changed and Lupin was feeling a bit uneasy now about using the pictures as a means of convincing.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Don't say it," she interjected. Sorrys never sat well with her. They made her feel guiltier than the person saying them. "I'll do it and all, but I don't even have a dress or shoes or…"

"Not a problem! Fujiko here will go shopping with you for all of that."

"What?" Fujiko cut in, "Lupin, we never discussed this."

"Yea, and we don't need Jess coming back looking like a whore," the gunman added.

"I think she dresses fine," Jess added with a sharp glance at Jigen, "if you got it, damn it, flaunt it." While Jess made fun of people all the time, it was a rule to never do it with malice and in public. She immediately felt bad about saying it in front of everyone as he tilted his hat, crossed his arms, and turned away.

"Oh, I like this idea already," Fujiko exclaimed. To see her tormentor a bit shaken at having been reprimanded by the girl he had taken a liking to was a plus; Fujiko saw in herself a great ally with the fellow brunette. "I'll take her right now since it is still early."

"Don't be mad," Jess whispered as she leaned over to the now sulking man in black. "I say a lot of mean things too; just no one calls me out on it. Also," she added looking around to see if anyone could hear, "I think she dresses a bit whorey as well, so I'll keep on my guard about the stuff she picks out." With a pat on his back and smirk she was whisked away.

"Jigen, we better be off as well to scout the place out. Hey, are you listening to me? Let's go."

"Huh?" He shook himself out of his girl inflicted confusion and responded with a simple, "Right, let's jet."

When the two men returned they came to find only one of the three people they expected to see.

"Hey Fujiko, where's the other two?" Lupin inquired.

"Goemon is doing his meditating thing on the roof again and Jess went out for a walk or something," she replied calmly as she filed her nails.

"What?" Jigen interjected, "you let her out this late? It's friggin' midnight!"

"And she's a friggin' adult, she can do as she pleases," Fujiko interjected as she look for his response. "Anyways," she added nonchalantly, "she said she would stay on the north side near the market where it's well lit."

"Oh, well that makes ALL the difference. I'll be back." And with that he turned on his heels and went right back out the door he had just come in minutes before. When he left Lupin sauntered over to the self pleased girl on the couch.

"You told Jess to go out just to get a rise out of him, didn't you?"

"Actually no, that was just an added bonus. She tries to go out almost every night for a walk, but Goemon always talks her out of it. Seeing as her councilor is M.I.A., though, she left."

"Well, you know if she doesn't show up Jigen will kill you."

"Yea, well, I have a feeling that she would have just left eventually…something restless about her."

Down the street quite a distance from the relaxed woman in the hotel, an angry mumbling man walked briskly towards the north end of town.

"I can't believe Fujiko just let her out like that. So what if she is an adult? Doesn't mean it's not dumb to go out like this. Jess thinks she's so independent, but then shit always happens to her, I can't…" his rambling was cut short when he saw the figure of a woman about 50 yards away from him. She was taking long strides and her head was down. There was a sort of purpose driven swagger to her step; it was Jess.

"You're a heartbreaker, dream maker, love taker don't you mess around with me…" Jess hummed to herself. She had finally gotten away to do what she enjoyed most – escaping at night. Although it seemed a little redundant now that she had escaped the country altogether, it was still a habit that needed to be satiated. "You're the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasy…" but her little recital was stopped as she sensed someone behind her. "Shit."

The now tense and slightly scared brunette went into her fight or flight response. Needless to say she rarely if ever elected to flee. Down the nearest ally she went, waiting right by the corner. The footsteps got closer and almost sounded like they were running. Jess picked up a trash can lid and at the first sight of her stalker she swung.

"Take that you bastard; I swear I'll kill…oh my God, Jigen."

"God damn, Jess, what is wrong with you?" Formerly knocked flat on his back, now sitting up, the gunman put hand to his head. Aside from the massive throbbing that ensued, there was a cut that was bleeding pretty significantly. He tried to stand up but more so wobbled to and fro till he found a building to lean against.

"I…I thought you were well, bad people. I'm sorry, please let me see where I hit you," she remarked softly as she moved towards him.

"Hey, I think you've done enough damage, Babe Ruth."

"No, really, you could have a concussion; you're certainly walking like it. Also, I see myself as more of a Sammy Sosa." With a slight grin she took his arm and put it around her shoulders. "Now it just looks like I'm walking a drunk home."

When the two got back to the hotel, they were met by a very shocked crowd. Jess explained as she walked in that she smacked him in the head and that he could have a concussion, but for now all details would have to wait.

"Sit," Jess commanded as she eased him on to the couch, "and don't move. Lupin, do me a favor and grab my small black bag. Fujiko, can you get me a bowl of warm water? Thanks. Now you," Jess exclaimed turning to her patient, "the hat has gotta come off if I am going to see what I'm doing." With that she took a chair and sat directly in front of him.

"I wonder if she is this demanding in the sack…" Lupin whispered to Fujiko as they went to retrieve their assigned objects.

With all her things, Jess went into her comfort zone of take charge. Lupin as well was feeling good with his decision to bring her along as he watched her work methodically in cleaning and dressing the cut, even if she was the one who inflicted it. Jigen for his part was rather in a daze, but was conscious enough to feel a bit uncomfortable with Jess' face so close to his own.

"OK, he's all done, well sorta. He's not allowed to sleep for six hours now just incase there is bleeding on the brain."

The three faces in front of her made the same grossed out response with a communal, "ewwww."

"Well, if it's all the same to trashcan lid to the face here and you Jess, we're off to bed," Lupin indicated with a yawn. "Try not to kill Jigen in future walks; he's handy to have around." When Lupin and Fujiko left, Jess flopped herself in a chair across the room from the eerily silent victim of her deadly swing.

"Please don't be angry with me."

"Why did you go for a walk at friggin' midnight?" he finally exclaimed after an awkward silence.

"I enjoy leaving at night," Jess answered carefully as she looked away, "I'm sorry about hitting you, really I am, but you snuck up on me and you and you alone know about my skittish feelings on that. You shouldn't have come after me, I would have been fine."

"You don't know that. You think of yourself as so damn independent, but you get yourself in trouble because of it all the time."

"Don't yell at me." There was that look. Her dad had deemed it the quiet murder. "What made _you_ come after me anyways? I didn't ask for help. You elect yourself to my protector or something, but you shouldn't, you just shouldn't. I'm bad news."

"Well, you certainly are friggin' bad news; I'm not going to lie. In fact, I have a bump on my head that would definitely have to agree." That was meant to make her laugh, but she just kept her head turned away. She really was the only person he couldn't read. "Hey, I'm not mad if that is what you want."

"Grood," she said finally facing him.

"Grood?"

"It's great and good put together. Sorry, it was a retarded thing Kim and I used to say just to be weird. It got so bad that we were saying it in normal conversation though. Again, I'm bad news…hahaha" There was the laughing he was looking for. "But really, just don't worry about me."

"Why wouldn't I worry about you walking around a strange town at midnight?"

"But how long would you worry?"

"I guess that's up to you."

"Watch out, your feelings are showing."

"I guess the blow to the head made an exhibitionist out of me."

She smiled; the rest of the night would be fine. Jess stayed up all night with her patient, but began waning in the final hour. Falling just short of the 6 hours, the brunette lay completely knocked out on the couch.

"Some doctor you'll be, your bed side manner is terrible," he whispered as he poked her to wake up. "Come on then Sammy Sosa, we both need sleep."

"Oh, sorry," Jess mumbled as she sat up. The drowsiness was heavy on her eyes as she looked up and added, "Jigen, I say a lot of things I don't mean. Thank you for coming for me."

"Yea, yea, that's just the lack of sleep talking," he exclaimed with a smirk as he put out his hand to help her up.

Leaning against his shoulder from pure exhaustion, the young lady whispered, "You know, I was right, we really are the most awkward people in the world."

"At least **_we're_** something…" he thought.


	8. Cinderella Saves the Day

Cinderella Saves the Day

"You know, we have been watching this show for 20 minutes now and I still don't know what's going on. It may have to do with the fact that it's in a language I don't know." It was a hot July day and the only refuge from the sun was the air conditioned inside. Even then, the heat was affecting everyone differently. For the two people sitting alone on the couch, it created great lethargy.

"Yea, that could be it," the man lounging next to the sarcastic brunette added, "but the remote is too far away to change it."

"This is true, and since neither of us is going to get up, we're stuck; possibly forever," Jess added with a yawn. Hot weather always made her unusually sleepy and today was no exception as she rested her head on the shoulder of her fellow couch potato.

"Hey, you aren't falling asleep on me are you? I'm not going to try and figure out this friggin' Italian nonsense alone."

"I'm quite sure you'll live…or die whatever,"she added with a laugh, "I should take a nap before tonight, though; I'm quite sure I'll need it since the heat is sucking the life out of me." Searching around her area, Jess took one of the couch pillows, propped it up against the man next to her and laid down.

"Do I look like a bed to you?"

"What part of 'we're stuck; possibly forever' didn't you understand?"

"Well, I can't argue with _that_ logic."

"I know," she remarked, "I'm a master debater. Just wake me up in time to get ready."

"What if I want to get up before then? You're kind of prohibiting me from moving here."

"Again 'stuck…forever.'"

"Oh," he exclaimed with a chuckle, "almost forgot."

While his leg acted as pillow for the aforesaid lady, Jigen tilted his hat down in order to catch a few z's himself. Making fun of foreign television wasn't the same without his partner in sarcasm anyways. His own travel into slumber was interrupted when the other female brunette in the men's lives appeared out of the corner of his eye.

"I really don't know what she sees in you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the gunman stated. He wasn't in the mood for arguing or discussing such matters as that.

"Whatever, you're little friend there needs to get up. I said I would help get her ready."

"Hey," a muffled voice from the pillow exclaimed, "I have a name." The lethargic girl stretched and stood up with a new found energy. "OK, Operation: Get F-ing Pretty is in progress; let's go."

The process of Operation: Get F-ing Pretty was a long one as was expected. It wasn't that either woman was ugly to begin with; it was just because there was always so much to do. Any man that has had to wait for a woman to get ready knows it takes hours and hours. What they all do is a trade secret…or voodoo. Either way, the two men on the job were ready in their tuxes at the designated time and were left staring at a closed bathroom door that showed no sign of opening.

"Should we knock on the door again?" Lupin asked his comrade in waiting.

"Not unless you want your head friggin' chewed off like last time."

"Ug, true."

Luckily their wait was over when they heard the voice of Fujiko pronounce, "We're ready!" First to step through was the one who announced their arrival. Fujiko looked as radiant as usual, which produced the same horny dog expression from Lupin. She suppressed his wandering hands and added, "Wait till you see what I did with Jess."

She wasn't kidding because as the aforesaid girl walked through the door the two men couldn't believe their eyes. It's one thing to see pictures, but to see her all dressed up in person was quite amazing. Jess was confident (though she deemed it fake confidence,) even in this awkward moment she held her chin high.

"I asked her not to choose the red dress," Fujiko added, "but she insisted on it. Red isn't in fashion this year."

"Hey," Lupin interjected as he thought of his own style, "red is always in fashion."

With that, the two couples left for the party. They had rented a limo to take them to the engagement, but had a car waiting for their escape. The limo ride itself was relatively silent as everyone continued to go over the plan in their head. Jess, for her part, was absolutely terrified at the thought that she might mess everything up.

"I shouldn't be here," she thought, "I'm not cut out for this sort of thing. I have fake courage, not real courage." For all that was going on in her mind, her face showed no sign of the worry that was running rampid. The only indication was the index finger she tapped rapidly on her knee.

The man sitting next to her, though trying to focus on the job tonight, was quite distracted by the low cut dress she wore. In fact both men were distracted by their dates' new appearances. While Lupin blatantly stared, though, Jigen tried to be very discrete. What he did notice was Jess' nervous tapping.

"Cut that out," the gunman whispered to her.

"Huh? Oh, the tapping." Jess turned to look out the window. While she would have usually felt the sudden warm hand take hold of her own at that time, our brunette was too preoccupied with appearing calm to realize it. At least she stopped tapping her finger.

With a final reminder from Fujiko to "just look confident," Jess stepped out, took Jigen's arm, and mustered all the fake courage she could.

"It's just like being a Drum Major, except for the fact that if I had messed up the tubas wouldn't have shot me," the young woman thought to herself. "Song, what's a song I can sing to keep from going crazy?"

On the outside world of the brunette's head all was going as planned. Lupin and Fujiko walked up to the large man who guarded the door. Producing an invitation and a look at his fabulous date, the thieves entered with no problem. Next up was Jigen and Jess. She held tight to his arm and the gunman could have sworn she was singing that Les Mis crap she always listened to. But, just as the couple before them, they entered no problem.

"Wait, that was it?" the now relaxed Jess asked her date.

"Did you think you would have to do a handstand or something?"

"No, but now I feel like an idiot for being that nervous."

"I know; you nearly left me a friggin' amputee with that kung fu grip you had on my arm."

"O shut up, it wasn't that bad."

"Look at this," he said limply waving his arm, "I can't even move it!"

"You know," Jess whispered on the verge of breaking out in laughter, "you seem to take pleasure in tormenting me. Either suck it up or I'll give you something to whine about."

"It's that kind of sweet talk that must have all the men flocking," he continued with a grin.

"Yea, well _flock_ you."

"Ouch," he added. There weren't too many girls who would take his crap, but she always took it with a laugh and usually countered it with some mean comment of her own. "Alright," he whispered as his expression went from a smirk to concentration, "you know what to do, I'll see you in about an hour." As the gunman strolled around nonchalantly waiting for the moment he and Lupin would meet in the adjacent room, Jess sauntered over to Fujiko.

"Did you find Mr. Narcus yet?"

"Yes," the curvy thief replied, "he's the man with the women all around him." She pointed out a very flashy looking man in the center of the floor with a gaggle of gold-diggers around him. He was the mark. It was Fujiko's objective to keep him occupied and to exchange the watch with a fake one. The reason for the switch was that Mr. Narcus took it upon himself to keep watch over his precious Helios Diamond via a camera projection in his watch. One may ask why he didn't just stay in the room holding it then. Answer: he was a very social and society conscious man. "I'll go it alone, honey, you just enjoy yourself."

"Hmmm," the girl in red mumbled in response. "All alone, I guess I will just make my own fun." Quickly scanning the room she found a tall lean man in the corner that seemed none too pleased to be there. He reminded her of the first time she saw Jigen in the Smithsonian.

"Not into the extreme social scene?" she inquired as she walked over.

"Oh, no…I prefer a small group of close companions to this mob of fair weather friends," he answered a bit off guard.

"I'm much the same, this really isn't my cup of tea…actually I hate tea." Her comment produced a smile on the sullen gentleman's face, which in turn made her grin. "My name is Jessica, how about you?"

"Well Jessica, can you keep a secret?"

"Depends on how awesome it is," she replied but detecting that he was being serious she added, "yes, of course."

"My name is Malcolm, Malcolm Narcus."

"As in the Mr. Narcus who is the owner of all this?" she remarked looking around at the large mansion.

"Yes, unfortunately," the billionaire said with dismay.

"I don't understand. You obviously dislike all this flash and sparkle, why do you throw parties and then sit in the back looking like your dog just died?"

"Because my dog did just die!" he exclaimed but began laughing. "No, I do all this because my publicist insists that I must keep up face in society so that everything continues to run smoothly. To appease me into doing this I was allowed to hire an impersonator who would act as myself so that I wouldn't have to deal with all the phoney people. You see him right over there," Mr. Narcus indicated to the flashy man with the gaggle of women around him including Fujiko. "To be honest, out of all the parties I have had to throw, you were the only one who has come to talk to me. May I ask why?"

"You reminded me of a good friend of mine. I'm quite sure he's not one for huge gatherings like this."

"Oh, is that the man you came in with? Is he your special someone?"

"I have no idea what we are," she whispered but feeling a bit uncomfortable she recovered and added, "How did you know who I came with? Were you watching me? Stalkers are not welcomed."

"I'm afraid I did watch you," he remarked with a laugh, "you didn't follow the prescribed fashion all these women worship and wore red. Your date shouldn't have just left you like that; he's obviously insane to let such a beautiful woman walk around by herself." He was moving closer, which was on the verge of crossing Jess' bubble.

Our now slightly uncomfortable brunette looked to the large grandfather clock and noticed it was the time the two men were going to work. With Fujiko occupied with the wrong man, Jess started to panic. She noticed the watch on her new friend's wrist and could see on the screen a clear image of Lupin and Jigen opening a safe. Now was not a time to follow her usual path of standoffish-ness.

"Yes," the now sultry woman exclaimed, "he was quite rude to leave me." Jess moved closer to Mr. Narcus and took hold of his hands to make sure he didn't look at his watch.

"You're a different one Jessica; you aren't like the rest of these gold diggers." His face was getting closer to her own and while red flags were being shot up everywhere in her mind she continued to stand still.

"I go to the beat of my own drum. You shouldn't let a publicist run your life. You should do what makes you happy." Jess looked down and saw that Lupin and Jigen were almost done.

"Right now, you are what is making me happy." Closer he leaned, but as soon as she saw that the two thieves were done she moved away. The clock struck midnight. That was the sign to for the girls to leave.

"I'm sorry, but I must leave."

"Leaving at midnight? Are you Cinderella?"

"Something like that. Remember, follow you heart, not what some publicist says is proper." Suppressing her initial reaction to jump in a fountain and scream from having to be so sensual with a person she didn't know, Jess calmly walked to the back door with Fujiko and simply left without a glance behind.

"Who was that man you were getting so close to?" whispered Fujiko to the eerily silent girl in red.

"That was the real Mr. Narcus. Check that watch you switched and notice that it is a fake; just like that man you spent _your_ whole time speaking with." Fujiko was fully shocked at having made such a mistake.

"Listen, let's make a deal. It's obvious you don't want a certain someone to know of your little adventure and I don't want them to know I didn't hit my mark. Therefore, let's never discuss this ever again."

"I only did that so no one would get hurt."

"Physically yes, but if he finds out it'll be emotionally for sure."

"Hey girls," Lupin remarked from the front seat, "secrets are no fun. What are you all whispering about back there."

Thinking of the vilest thing to get him off the subject Jess blurted out, "Tampons."

"Ewwww," was the collective consensus from the two men in the front.

The ride home was oddly silent with the women giving each other death stares from across the car. Upon entering the hotel Fujiko and Jess continued the tension as both went straight to their rooms without a word of goodnight. Lupin attempted to coax Fujiko out with no avail and left his comrade to try his hand with the other brunette.

"Hey Jess, can I come in?" He knew she wouldn't talk about whatever it was with other people listening.

A crack in the door appeared with one brown eye peering out. With the assurance that it was the person whom she thought it was, Jess opened the door to let him in. Something was weird in the air; she kept at a distance and didn't even turn around to face him.

"OK, what's going on?"

"Can you unzip me?" Jess asked looking over her shoulder indicating to her dress.

"That wasn't a very good avoidance of the question," he replied as he walked forward to accomplish the task she requested.

"If you wish to know it falls along the lines of I don't appreciate being blackmailed." She waited for him to turn around to resume changing and continued, "It's a matter between girls. You all don't want to get involved."

"Well, beside that Mr. Lincoln, how was the play?"

"Hey, stop trying to make me laugh," Jess remarked with the assertion of a shoe thrown at his back.

"Oh, well I'm turning around now if we're going to start this crap again."

"That's fine; I was done dressing a while ago."

"So you would have me stare at the wall all night?"

"It seems that way, better than a trash can lid to the face again." Jigen had a sudden need to put his hand to his forehead as the memory of the event resurfaced. Although it pained him to remember it, he was glad to see her smiling again. "If it's all the same to you all, I don't think it is wise for me to go on jobs anymore. I become way too nervous."

"Well, you certainly never show it aside from that friggin' tapping."

The brunette's eyes became wide as a sudden realization came over her. "You held my hand." He didn't answer. There was no embarrassment at all, he just stared waiting for a reaction from her. "Are we going to do this again? Do you think we can do it right?"

His answer was interrupted by Jess' cell phone on the table. They couldn't just ignore it as she had purposely set it to the gayest sounding ring tone just for the sake of annoyance. The brunette walked over quickly, but by then whoever had called had left a message.

"_Hey Jess, it's Kim. I know I never call at this time, but there is an emergency. Please call back immediately…something terrible is going on."_


	9. The Forever Escape

The Forever Escape

"Well, that's just friggin' wonderful," the gunman muttered to himself. Instead of being able to answer the questions posed to him concerning "them", Jigen stood their awkwardly as he watched the young woman's face turn slowly to concern as she listened to her phone message. "She finally picks up on it all and that damn phone rings."

"Jigen…" Jess said slowly turning her head towards him, "something bad is going on at home." She was actually showing distress rather than hiding it. Suffice to say, this had our present man concerned. "I'm sorry," the brunette continued, "I need to call home now."

"Uh, yea that's fine I guess. But, are we going to finish…"

"Oh, hey Kim!"

Now slightly perturbed at having been ignored, Jigen sat down on the opposite of the bed Jess was on. The volume on her phone was turned up loud so that he could over hear what this "Kim" had to say that was so important.

"Hey Jess, did you get my message?"

"Yea, I did. What's going on?"

"The police came to my house a few hours ago asking about you. They said you were part of some huge heist that went down in Washington. I'm talking huge, not like our little fake ones where only quarters are involved."

"What!"

"Listen, I'm not one to make judgments about someone's life, but I never knew you did something like this! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Holy shit, I didn't have anything to do with that!"

"I thought you did since you were involved with those guys you met."

"Not _that_ involved, dear GOD! What else did they say?"

"Well, I tried to deny that you would ever get involved with something like that but they said that their key witness said that your name was mentioned right before he was kidnapped and used as bait."

"Who is there key witness?"

"I shouldn't say, you'll just get really angry and…"

"WHO IS IT!"

"Joe…"

The room became deathly silent after the mention of that man's name. Jess never spoke to Joe; _ever_. She remembered telling Jigen about the things he did, but she was sure nothing would come of it. Certainly the man lounging next to her wouldn't make such a mistake, would he? Jess turned to look at him and noticed he was staring right back at her. Her eyes widened as she got up and walked to the balcony to finish her conversation in private.

"So, give it to me straight," the brunette continued once clear of prying ears, "what am I facing in terms of conviction?"

"Jail…I don't know how long."

"Kim, I don't think I can ever come back."

"I know," the voice on the other end began to crack, "I know."

"God damn it," she exclaimed holding back tears, "you know what happens when you start crying. We don't need this to turn into the MMC banquet again. No one needs to see me cry," Jess turned to look indoors at the man still on the bed peering at her through the glass doors, "no one."

"I'm sorry. But I never told them about your cell phone, so please don't cut me off all together. You just can't write anymore…"

"Or come home anymore." Jess slumped down to the ground as the weight of her situation began to hit.

"What will you do?" Kim asked slowly after a long silence.

"I don't know…I don't know.

"Jess, as gay as this sounds, I don't want to lose you!"

"I'm not dying. Don't act like I'm dying. Jessica Abraham will need to go away into oblivion, but I'll still be here." By now Jess had rested her back against the wall since she couldn't find the strength to keep herself up. She always liked escaping, but not forever. "Listen, call me in a couple of days…by then I'll have the answers I need."

"OK, you promise you'll still be there?"

"I'll be somewhere…just call later. Oh, I want you to know that I'm sorry for not hugging you when I left. I'm so sorry." The girl with the heart of stone was cracking. "I'll miss you and please don't forget me."

"Don't say that, I'll see you, I just know it. OK, in a couple of days I'll call and you promise to be there."

"Yes, good bye."

"Good bye…"

The now still girl put the phone aside as she stared out into the city lights. Thoughts ran rampid through her mind as she tried to figure out her next move. Should she ask Lupin for help? Should she leave on her own accord? What was to become of her life? After about 10 minutes of deliberation she glanced back inside. No longer sitting on the bed, Jigen had taken to the standing closer to the balcony door. He was still watching her.

"Jigen, I know you've been listening. Just come out here."

"The walls are thin in this hotel," he remarked coming outside, "you should know that from the weird sounds coming from Lupin's room."

"I don't care…" Jess still sat on the floor with her back against the wall. She hugged her knees in some form of comfort but still had an expression of concern mixed with anger. "Do you have something to tell me?"

"Not anymore."

"That's unfortunate because you certainly did something that warrants an explanation." Through the strength of her anger, Jess found the stuff she needed to stand up and face him. Though obviously enraged, she kept cool and rational. This was even worse as the gunman knew how cut-throat this Jess could be. "Please just tell me."

"The day of the Washington job I went to Joe's house and at one point mentioned your name. We thought of it as a way to have live bait and to take revenge for the things he did to you. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Why did you say my name?" she asked softly.

"Because I wanted him to know he shouldn't have treated you like that. In Hein site it was a damn friggin' mistake on my part, but you have to know…"

"Nothing you have to say will take it away." Jess was becoming paler by the moment as she continued to stand. She leaned against the bars of the balcony, but they weren't doing much in the help department. "I really want to just punch you in the face."

"As long as it isn't a trash can lid."

"Can you please leave?"

"What? Why?" He was expecting to take more verbal lashings from the now frail looking girl in front of him, but there she stood, asking him to leave.

"There isn't anything I can do. I can't even rationalize my next move or how I should react, so I'm going to go with my instincts and," she didn't want to tell him that she just wanted to cry so she resolved to just say, "sleep…or something."

"Fine." It wasn't fine and just looking at her eyes, he could tell what she was about to do. The beginning of the evening had his hopes so high and now here he was being told to leave when she obviously needed help. Jess had to be independent, even if it wasn't for the best.

The next few days, after everyone in the gang had been informed of the present situation, were pretty quiet as there was no sign of life coming from Jess' room. She never came out and at one point they thought she had tried to escape again, but that was laid to rest when they heard an annoying cell phone ring go off and someone pick it up. Everyone had tried their luck at getting her out, but it was of no avail.

"Well, I can't even say she's looking for pity at this point. I mean, she hasn't even eaten," a baffled Fujiko remarked.

"She's not looking for pity, she's just being her damn stubborn self," Jigen added.

"I don't see why you're mad at her; you're the one who screwed her over."

"You need to friggin' shut the hell up."

"It would be wiser to spend our time assessing a way to get her out rather than argue about what has happened in the past," Goemon finally cut in. He had been staying out of the tension as much as he could, but it was all starting to boil over as no appearance of the discussed girl continued day after day.

"You know, I have had the answer to our problem for a day now. I'm surprised no one has asked me," the man in the red jacket exclaimed.

"Well, why didn't you friggin' say anything!"

"Patience, my sarcastic friend, patience." The master thief pulled a pamphlet out of this coat pocket and threw it on the coffee table. "Here. She may think her future is ruined, but wait till you see where she's going."

"Should we tell her now then?" Fujiko asked after looking at the proposed plan, "I can't take this tension anymore."

"Yea," Lupin responded, "Jigen you go get her."

"Whoa, hey, she hates me."

"Ah, no she doesn't. Well, maybe, but you have the greatest chance of getting her out."

"Fine." Jigen got up and walked to her door. He could feel the eyes of everyone else in the room watching as he knocked on the door. No answer. "Hey Jess, stop this crap and come out…" He was stopped mid sentence as he had a shoe thrown at him by Fujiko.

"Be nice you idiot!" she whispered at him.

"What is up with women and throwing shoes?" he mumbled to himself but then directed his speech towards the inanimate object of Jess' door. "What I mean is we have a way where you can still go and do the things you want like nothing happened or whatever, just come out." There was silence for awhile as they all waited for some kind of answer. Jigen turned and shrugged his shoulders and threw his hands in the air, but was stopped by any further giving up when a small paper appeared under the door.

"What does it say?" Lupin asked, "Is she coming out?"

"It says she wants to talk to Goemon."

"Me!" a now baffled samurai exclaimed.

"Well," Fujiko cut in with a look of triumph on her face, "apparently Jigen isn't her favorite." All that warranted was a dirty look from the man in black.

"What am I suppose to say?" Goemon asked as he got up.

"Show her this," Lupin said giving him the pamphlet, "and give her this," he added handing the samurai a sleeve of Fig Newtons. "She hasn't eaten in three days; use it as a peace offering."

The effect of not eating was quite apparent when the cautious man entered the room. The door was always unlocked so he had found her curled up on her bed in a nest of blankets. Upon hearing him enter she sat up and exhibited features of dark circles under the eyes and very pale skin.

"You said you found a way for me to go back to normal?" Her eyes were pleading and not full of the usual fire. It was like looking into an empty version of Jess.

"Well, no, but Lupin found a way for you to do what you planned. Here." He handed her the pamphlet and waited while she read.

"Oxford? Oxford!"

"Yes, while it isn't what you had planned, it's what we have to offer in its place. Oh, and here are some fig newtons."

"What about home?" she asked after stuffing 4 Newtons in her mouth.

"I'm sorry, but if you never want to go to jail, you can not go home. Sometimes the path of one's fate is not revealed till a very pivotal moment. While you are not taking the path you thought you would, you will end up at the same destination. It is impossible to say if you will ever see your 'home' again, but as you can see, anything can happen."

"You know, that is the reason I asked for you to come in," the brunette remarked as she shoved 3 more Newtons in her mouth.

"Why is that?"

"I don't know; you just seem to say rational things that make it all better…make it all better." Her thoughts were trailing off as she became engrossed in the literature about her new college. "At least I don't have to worry about the long drives home for vacations." The comment almost made the stoic man laugh. Even in her down moments she always managed to make one of her signature statements. "Is everyone out there?"

"Yes."

"They can hear everything we're saying, can't they?"

"Most likely."

"Well, I'm going to unawkward this situation. Please forgive me for what I'm about to scream."

"Uh, OK?"

"TAMPONS!" Jess listened for the sought after 'ewww' to see if they were listening and she got it after a few seconds. "Sorry, I realized a few days ago it's a word that gets me a little alone time."

"Are you going to be OK with never going home?" the samurai continued.

"I have no other choice, now do I?"

"I find your acceptance commendable."

"Nah, the ability to do a back flip is something to be considered commendable, not the ability to accept. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Can I please touch your sword?"

"The day you call it by its proper name is the day you may touch it."

"Ah, crap. Hey, I have one more question." Her tone changed as she looked up from her empty sleeve of Newtons. "For vacations, may I come visit you all so it at least seems like I have a family?"

"Actually, it's expected you come to us during that time. In regards to 'family' you should have the option of proclaiming you have a home to come to honestly since you are certainly a part of our family. We rely and depend on each other, save Fujiko who is as constant as the wind, but you proved that when you did your duty in a time of need."

"You mean when I totally smashed Jigen in the face and then bandaged him up?"

"Yes, though the way I put it sounded much less barbaric."

"True, so today I got a new life and a new family. I think I like this path more so than my old one."


	10. Locomotion

Locomotion

"You shouldn't be playing match maker like that, Lupin."

"What? Why not? With Fujiko gone I have to find some kind of entertainment. Plus Jigen is a lot more agreeable when he's not in the dog house with Jess."

"You are one to talk. Ever since Fujiko left you have been moping around like your best friend just died."

"That's because a little bit of me dies when she leaves. What can I say?" he added with a smirk, "Call me a Romantic."

"I don't think a Romantic is appropriate. I would choose an Imbecile."

"That's cold man, cold. You just wait and see. My plans never fail…well, fail completely. The way I see, either they'll finally hook up or kill each other. It's a chance I'm willing to take."

"Just don't expect me to listen to your endless prattle then _yenta_."

After spending about a month in Italy, the group of thieves decided it was time for a change in scenery. Their new destination was a lovely county outside Paris where Lupin owned a chateau. The trip would be minus Fujiko, though, as she took it upon herself to take care of some personal business (much to Lupin's dismay.) The trip was to be taken by train, which led to the discussion above. It would have been very troublesome for the quartet to get four separate rooms, so for convenience's sake they got just two. It so happened that the two most sarcastic people of the group where put together, or at least that's the story the master thief is sticking to.

"It's so odd," the reflecting brunette thought, "I've been away from home for so long and it was only until I found out I could never go back that I actually missed it."

Jess sat close to the window and felt content in just leaning her head against it. While she had accepted her fate, she still routinely thought of the life she had left behind. She kept her mouth shut on the subject, though, aside from the occasional calls to Kim. The train was beginning to move but her stare stayed constantly forward and her mind at the day dream level until a poster caught her eye.

"Holy shit," she exclaimed out loud. It was enough to startle the man sitting across from her.

"What?"

"NOTHING…nothing." Jess' gaze continued at a constant stare outside. It was enough to spark the gunman's interest as he began to get up and look but was denied from this action by the brunette. "I'm sorry, I just thought of something back home." He stopped and didn't press the issue since he knew "home" was a subject to stay away from. Although, he couldn't help but have a feeling she was lying as she turned her head back to the window.

While by this point she had passed the shocking poster, she was again alarmed when she noticed they were all over the train station. Her eyes read across them as the train picked up speed.

**To My Dear Cinderella**

_Jessica, you left at midnight with my heart. No other woman can compare, please come back to me. I won't stop till I have you. – Malcolm Narcus_

Below the message was a description of the midnight brunette and a number to contact about a reward for any information about her whereabouts.

"O my goodness, it's like a stalker on crack," Jess thought to herself. Her thoughts were further provoked when she saw a whole billboard with the same message. She couldn't help but think back to all the stories Kim and her would share about the creepy men in their lives. "Well my friend," she thought, "I guess I win today."

After a few moments of her nostalgic reflection, Jess realized she was the object of quick glances from the man sharing the room with her. Becoming conscious that she was being an ass just sitting their avoiding him, the brunette spoke.

"Is where we going very pretty?"

"Huh?" he replied automatically not expecting the sudden conversation, "Oh, yea. It's got gardens, ponds, and all that nature crap."

"Excellent; I love nature crap." She was smiling broadly and the fact that she was poking fun at him again was a good sign. "You know," Jess exclaimed slowly, "I'm not angry with you."

"You certainly friggin' acted like it. I was actually getting a chill from the cold shoulder I was receiving."

Jess began to laugh but was stopped when she heard the terribly annoying ring tone of her cell phone go off. Only one person was given that ring – Kim. While the men had all heard bits and pieces of the other language Jess seemed to speak with her close friend it was still a complete head-scratcher when the gunman had to listen to just one end of a full one.

"Hey Hobags, what's up? What? Are you serious? Oh my goodness, not a hand to the knee! It might as well be a knife to the eye! Did you punch him in the face? Hahahaha, no,_ your _face is glaring error! How are 'nice' and 'extreme?' Grood, grood. Hahaha, right right, o hey there you are! Unfortunately. Him? Oh, he's staring at me right now." She looked up and smiled. "Exactly, take that and rewind it back. No! Don't compliment me after I destroy you! Hahahaha. Listen little lamb of death, I can't really talk now as I am being rude. Exactly, somehow you'll manage to survive. Just call me in a few days or something, OK? Hahaha, yes, TODAY TODAY. But really, in a few days or so. I know dear, love ya too. Toodles!"

As quickly as she turned it on, the odd spark was just as soon gone when Jess put her phone away. It was like two different people. One was calm, cool and sarcastic. The other was bubbly, energetic, and apparently speaking jibberish. It was enough to confuse any man.

"Was that that Kim person you talk to?"

"Yea, she's my partner in crime. Mind you our crimes aren't as large as you and Lupin's, but we have managed to get free video rentals." Talking about her past adventures made the brunette realize she'll never have them again. It was one of the few times that what was on her mind was written all over face.

"You miss her don't you?" Jigen inquired as he moved forward.

"Yes. Her and Daddy." Her gaze continued to fall as did the corners of her mouth.

"What about your mom?" She looked up quickly and her face tensed up.

"The day I tell you about my mother is the day you tell me about your past."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"For someone who has a Japanese name you look and act remarkably American."

"Shut up. At least I don't have some friggin' weird need to be independent and leave all the time." The two stubborn people folded their arms, sat back, and glared at each other from across their small room. It began to get eerily quiet until Jess began to laugh. "And what's so friggin' funny?"

"We're such asses."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he remarked with a smirk, "I'm a perfect gentleman."

"Is that like a euphemism for an ass? Because then I want to be a gentleman too! Listen, you want to do something?"

"Like what?" He began to lean forward again with a devilish look in his eyes.

"Whoa! Not that kind of something you perv. Do you have cards?"

"Yea," exclaimed a slightly disappointed Jigen, "side pocket on the top rack there above your head." The girl jumped up on the seat and stretched for the indicated bag.

"Why did you have to put it up so high?"

"Because it gives me a nice view."

"Huh?" Jess looked around and noticed the gunman's eyes staring straight at her backside. This was met with a deck of cards thrown at his face. "You're certainly feeling your oats tonight."

"That's not all I want to be feeling."

"Holy crap," the brunette said while laughing heartily, "you're f-ing ridiculous." From her own bag Jess retrieved a baseball cap and threw it on the ground. "Let's play horse." Just like the basketball form of horse, the duo played using cards and a cap. For her part, Jess was failing miserably at getting the cards in the hat, which led to the usual torment from the man in black. As the game dragged into the night, Jess abandoned trying and found more fun in just coming up with impossible shots for the expert marksman to make.

"You're never going to stump me. I don't miss."

"Fine, how about this." Jess shoved the hat far away, dragged Jigen to the wall on the opposite end and covered his eyes with her hands. "Let's see how good you are when you can't see it." He merely smirked and threw the card, which landed directly in the hat. "Oh friggin' A, you win."

"I told you I don't miss." He turned around to face the smiling brunette. Her smile faded, though, as she realized she was pinned up against the wall. The gunman kept moving closer but all she could think of was her past. Men always disappointed Jess and she wasn't sure if she was willing to give the other gender another chance. Looking away, she slid free of the capture and left the young man more than confused.

"It's late," Jess remarked slowly, "we should sleep."

"Right…"

The gentle rocking of the train put both people quickly to sleep. While one continued to mull over the events that occurred that night in his dreams, the other began getting images of strange men following her. Ever since that night back in Washington DC when she was kidnapped as bate, the brunette had become slightly paranoid. Her fears surfaced every now and then, but for the most part she was able to keep them in check. Tonight, though, it caused her to wake up in a cold sweat.

"Cut it out Jessica," the tired young woman thought to herself, "you don't let this shit bother you."

She got up quietly and walked to the door of her room, which had small window to look out into the hallway. Slowly she peered out only to swear to have seen the same men coming for her.

"Shit, shit, shit. Now I'm seeing things." Jess began to feel desperate. "I can't go out there to escape and I can't stay in here because they'll just come and get me in the dreams. Holy crap shut up shut up!" Cupping her hands over her face she breathed in deeply and let out a sigh. It was enough sound to wake the light sleeper who shared the room.

"Hey, what are you doing up?"

"For lack of a better explanation and sounding crazy; because they're after me. Can you look out into the hallway and tell me if you see anything?"

"Huh? What is this? You want me to check the monsters under your bed too?" Jigen got up and glanced out into the hallway and didn't see a soul. "Nothing, you all there?"

"Yes, thank you." The two stood facing each other with the gunman waiting for an explanation. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"You sure about that? Listen, I'm not going to have you continue to send me mixed messages and…"

"You never answered my question."

"Hey! Cut it out and wait till I'm done with…"

"The one I asked before Kim called and told me I couldn't come home."

"Oh, yea well, this isn't the best friggin' time to answer it."

"Why?"

"Because, uh, it isn't the right moment. I mean look, we're arguing!" The two were silent for a moment and found it less awkward to look away from each other although they continued to stand close. The short silence was broken, though, when the young woman finally looked up with that odd fleeting fire in her eyes.

"How about now?"

"You know, you're right. We _are_ asses." She was finally able to break a smile across his face and in turn began to grin as well.

"No no. I'm the ass. You're the 'gentleman,' remember?"

"Hahaha, that's right." The conversation gave him confidence enough to put his hand on her shoulder. "We should probably sleep. Even asses and 'gentleman' need strength to continue on." They hopped together into bed but the gunman still noticed the quick glances Jess gave the door. "Listen, if anyone comes through the door, I'll shoot them, OK?"

"In the face? That's where I'd shoot someone."

"A ruthless killer? That's attractive."

"Hey, it's the reason I like you." Both bodies tensed up immediately. After months of being stubbornly resistant to saying anything, one of them finally cracked. Jess turned on her side facing the wall to hide her embarrassment, but was relieved from any further feelings of that manner when she felt a hand on her waist.

"If it's the face you want them to be shot in, then that's fine."

"Thanks. You still never answered my question."


	11. What's a Gun Between Friends?

What's a Gun Between Friends?

"I can't control my destiny. I trust my soul. My only goal is just to be," sang the familiar young woman.

A week in France had given Jess a warm glow and the usual little freckles across her nose and cheeks. This was due to her daily excursions to the pond she found about half a mile behind the chateau. Every day it was the same thing. She'd shove the back door open singing a tune that would never resemble any other she had sang before and would then stop and pick dandelions.

"Stupid bastards won't stop growing!" she exclaimed out loud. "Why don't you understand that you must grow away from the house?"

After about 5 minutes of yelling at the silent weeds the brunette would then throw her hands in the air and continue on with her preset journey. Everyday it was the same and everyday she would have an audience from the second story window.

"Hey, are you listening man?" a perturbed man in red yelled to his comrade at the window.

"Huh? Oh, yea. Actually no, what did you say?"

"Come over here, stop oogling her, and look at these floor plans." The gunman turned around and restrained his initial reaction to tell Lupin to shut up. Walking up to the large blueprint on the table he joined the other two men studying it carefully.

"Is this where they are keeping the painting?" Goemon asked pointing to the inner box of the rooms on the map.

"Yea, I'm not going to lie. It'll be harder to get to than Mother Theresa's underwear, but we can do it."

"The Louvre has some the most tricky friggin' security work I've ever seen," Jigen said indicating to the entrances and posts of guards.

"It'll be fine gentlemen, I have a plan." The master thief leaned back in his chair and smirked with his usual confidence. "But, for now I recommend you just relax since we have been at this all morning."

By mid afternoon the brunette reappeared. Noticing the time she got dressed in real clothes (since a bathing suit isn't very appropriate for normal day attire, much to the men's disappointment.) Walking out to the main foyer of the house she couldn't find a soul so just took the lazy route and yelled.

"I'm going to town! Does anyone need anything?"

"Dry cleaning!" responded Lupin as he suddenly appeared from around the corner and consequently throwing the needed cleaning at her.

"Hey, friggin' A…"

"Yea, me too!" exclaimed Jigen right behind Lupin as he thrust his clothing at her as well.

"I hate you two."

"Thanks Jess, you're a godsend. Kisses kisses!" answered Lupin while waving and quickly disappearing with Jigen in tow who merely smirked at the disgruntled girl.

"If it's going to be like that, I'm taking you with me," Jess remarked pulling an unsuspecting Goemon who had heard all the noise and decided to see what was causing it. "Your food came in anyways, plus I need company."

"Very well…and did you just say my food came in?"

"Yea, miso soup and pickled radishes or whatever."

"Excellent."

During her stay with the Lupin gang, Jess began to find it necessary to have some kind of purpose. She never liked receiving things she didn't earn, and in thinking like so took it upon herself to act as an organizer and planner. It worked to her advantage as well since it allowed time for her favorite pastime of escaping (even if it was just to town.)

"Goemon, can you tell me a story of slight significance?" the young woman asked staring at the warm sun.

"I rather hear a story or more so a truth of slight significance from you."

"What do you mean?" she inquired bringing her gaze back to earth.

"What are your intentions with Jigen?"

"I'm sorry, did you say you were his father because that is adorable."

"I'm serious. Unfortunately he has been betrayed by women in the past and had quite given up on the gender as a whole until he met you. If he had to go through one more…"

"Goemon, don't worry about it."

"It is impossible for me to ignore the matter."

"No, I mean, you don't need to worry because my intentions don't lie in misleading him." Jess turned to look up at the stern man and nodded. "Understand?" She gave a shy smile at having to confess but was able to deter the subject when they reached the town. "Your food is at the post office. Meet me here when you're done."

"Very well."

Jess' own errands were quite short and the post office was far on the other side of town, which led to a bored waiting girl. Her boredom was dispensed, though, when she felt a tap on the shoulder.

"Jessica, is that you?" That voice was familiar but she couldn't place it. Luckily she didn't have to guess as she looked up to see a much unexpected face.

"Malcolm? Malcolm Narcus? Why in the world are you here?"

"I thought you would be happy, my dear. I couldn't stop thinking about you and the things you said. You were right, I have to follow my heart and my heart is with you."

"Well, that's wonderful Malcolm, but what are you doing here?"

"I came to get you. I got information from the signs I had up that you had boarded a train for this town and since then I have been asking everyone here if they had seen you. To be honest I had quite given up, but seeing you here has made all the difference."

"That's very…" Jess wanted to say creepy, odd, stalkerish, anything to make him go away, but she instead said, "flattering."

"I knew you would think so. You must come back with me to Italy. I can give you anything you want."

"I can't go, I'm sorry." She wasn't sorry. The brunette was kicking herself for want of telling this guy to leave her alone.

"What! Why not? Money is no option." He began to move closer to her, which made the young woman a tad afraid. The billionaire didn't move with a sense of tenderness, this was anger.

"You must understand. My…my heart lies with someone else."

"Is it that man who just left you at the ball? What kind of man would do that? He obviously doesn't appreciate you as I would."

"Yes, it is that man and it isn't your right to make judgments like that." Jess noticed that her sought after samurai was approaching. "Listen Malcolm, I'm sorry you went through all this trouble, but please do no bother me again. Good bye." With that she took her spot next to Goemon and walked away without looking back.

"Who was that man you were speaking with?"

"No one important."

"I sense trouble about him."

"Yea," she mumbled, "so do I."

After dinner that evening, the quartet went about their separate business. Lupin went back upstairs in an attempt to continue research on his next job. Goemon found outside was where he wished to be and left for the pond Jess insisted was "grood" for meditation. Outside seemed to then be a popular spot as the other two members migrated out as well. Jess took all the information she had received on Oxford that she had meant to read and read it. Jigen simply took the time to take a smoke. Both of the smokers in the house, in consideration to Jess' complete abhorrence, smoked outside. It wasn't even an inconvenience at this point and merely out of habit.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" the gunman thought to himself. "There's no point in carrying this crap on with her. All girls in the end really are the same – just manipulating bitches." He looked off in the distance and could just barely make out the silhouette of the lounging young woman. "Yea, you look so harmless out there. Why won't you just betray us and get it over with."

His gaze continued in the young woman's direction, which led him to crack a smile as he saw her fling another dandelion and curse. The confused man's simple enjoyment was cut short when he heard a very soft bang and felt something bite his arm.

"Damn it." Jigen looked down at his arm and noticed it was bleeding. Someone had shot at him and grazed him. He turned around to find his assailant standing a mere ten yards away. "Who the hell are you?" The marksman began to reach for his gun.

"Don't even think about it. Put your hands up right now and turn back around or I'll shoot at the girl." Jigen complied with the crazed man's directions, but he couldn't shake the feeling he was familiar. "As to whom I am, I am Malcolm Narcus."

"So what the hell do you want? A medal?"

"No, I want what should be mine since you don't deserve it. I want Jessica."

"You want Jess!"

"That's right. You certainly don't know how to treat a woman who is like that. She says her heart belongs to you and I figure if I get rid of you she'll be mine for the taking."

"You act like she's a piece of property." Of course what the man in black was really thinking about was the statement about Jess' heart…and how to kill this bastard. His shooting arm was injured and the fact that Narcus had a silencer on his gun gave him the ability to shot and make an escape. Jigen's train of thought was interrupted by a familiar sound off in the distance.

"If you wanna love me, then darlin' don't restrain…" sang a strolling brunette. She decided the mosquitoes would eat her alive if she didn't go inside but would find a bigger problem to worry about.

"You hear that? She sings for me!" the crazed billionaire proclaimed.

"JESS! Don't come any closer. Run the hell away!" But it was too late as the young woman stopped dead in her tracks to see Malcolm pointing a gun at the bleeding gunman.

"No, let Jessica see that it is I who is the better man for her."

"Listen bub, if you don't even know she prefers being called Jess than what the hell kind of chance do you have?"

"Shut up! Shut up!" He was shaking now with anger and obvious insanity. "You're the one who just left her all alone at the ball. You obviously don't appreciate her as I would. That is why you must die."

As the events unfolded in front of her, Jess began to cry. She was crying without a sob, merely rolls of tears pouring down her face. For once, she didn't mind letting anyone see her cry. It didn't seem to matter. Through the water, the brunette stared straight ahead at the stuck man who too shared the forward gaze. This had to end now.

"Malcolm, please just let me hug him one last time."

"What? You mean you will come with me then?"

"Yes, just let me say goodbye."

"Fine, but you may not kiss him!"

The young woman, although very tense, walked smoothly up to Jigen and put her arms around him.

"You bitch, you'll just let me die…" he whispered

"Shut up, where's your gun?"

"What? You want to shoot me instead?"

"Where's your gun," she asked again without flinching. Jess didn't wait for an answer, though; as she remembered he kept it tucked into the back of his pants. Moving her hands slowly down underneath the marksman's jacket she plucked out the gun and shot their assaulter.

"Jess, did you just kill…"

"No, I shot him in the shoulder. Stay here." The brunette no longer had the broad smile she normally wore. This man had crossed the line and would now have to deal with the cold hearted Jess. She picked up the billionaire's gun which had fallen to the ground and then proceeded to walk straight up to the crazy man himself.

"Jessica…how could you? I thought…"

"You thought wrong. Don't you ever come near me or my friends especially, again. You see, I merely shattered your shoulder, but if you come within a country of me that man behind me will kill you. If not him, I will. I don't love you much less like you, so please move on. No woman wants to be told, threatened or pitied into liking a man. You disgust me." With that, Jess turned around and retrieved Jigen.

"Your arm needs attention, let's go inside."

"What were you thinking doing something like that?" he asked when inside and sure Narcus had scrambled away

"I was thinking you smelled like cigarettes actually." Jess remarked while tying the bandage on his arm.

"Where did _you_ learn to shoot straight?"

"My dad is a hunter, NRA member, and owns 12 assorted guns. I was bound to pick up something. Plus," she added with a grin, "You leave your safety off so I knew I would be OK."

"He said you told him your heart belonged to me." Jess stopped, thought for a moment and then continued with her work.

"It would stupid to deny that now." Her heart pounded hard in her chest so much she was sure the whole house could hear, but she continued in her cool tone, "You mean a lot to me and I really don't know why. You're a smoker, a drinker, sarcastic, take pleasure in making fun of others, and have the ability to be completely distant and cold on the turn of a dime. But you know what? I am too, well minus the smoking and drinking."

The young woman stood up as she had finished bandaging the gunman and walked towards the window.

"I thought you said if you had the chance you would shoot someone in the face," came a voice from behind her as she felt a hand rest on her shoulder at the same time.

"I guess we can add liar to that list."

"That's fine. You work on the truth and I'll take some of that nicorette gum. And to finally answer your question, yes."


	12. Who Lives In North Dakota?

Who Lives In North Dakota?

7 AM, the gunman wakes up. His internal clock was never off. Eyes looking straight up, he wonders why he fell asleep on his back; more of a side sleeper.

"That's right," he thought, "I've been pinned."

Latched onto to his left side was the familiar brunette. Her arm had found its way across his chest and ended with her hand resting on his opposite shoulder. To add to his lack of movement was the fact that she had wrapped her leg around his own. While it kept Jigen in one place, it never seemed to annoy him. He knew the reason she was so close; the three men were leaving that day for Paris. Little independent Jessica: so afraid to be left alone again. At least the current situation allowed his hand to wander down her back.

"Hey, I feel that."

"I hope you're not serious since you're obviously groping my whole friggin' body."

"Whatever, don't even pretend like you don't enjoy it." For a moment the girl was silent as she thought of a nonchalant way to say her next question. Finally she just asked softly, "When are you guys leaving?"

"In a few hours. You gonna be OK there, Abraham?"

"Abraham? The only person who calls me that is the girl you constantly refer to as 'that Kim person.'" Jess avoided the question; she was unusually good at that.

"Well, I have yet to see her and for all I know you could just be talking to yourself. Maybe it's one of those split personality things; maybe you're crazy."

"Obviously I am crazy. I mean, look who I took a liking to. I should be taking a ride to the loony bin for that alone."

"Oh, I was thinking of taking you for a ride, but not to the loony bin."

"Really?" The young woman sat up a little and leaned over the gunman. As her pajamas consisted of only a small red nighty, it was hard for Jigen to keep his eyes where they were suppose to be. "Tell me more about this ride."

"Well…" The hand that had started the conversation was still positioned on her back, which he then began to use to bring her closer. Sadly, Jess was caught off guard and instead of smoothly descending she fell and knocked her head against her partner in sarcasm.

"Oh, son of a bitch," she exclaimed rolling over with a hand to her forehead.

"Friggin A! I think you're cursed. That or you enjoy hitting me in the head. Wait, are you laughing?" Jess had her back to him but all at once began twitching and then finally laughing. "You _are_ crazy."

"Sorry." She turned around and leaned in closer again. "Let me make it up to you later; when you guys come home from your job." Jess put her hand on top of his and continued, "Catch my drift?" The rare broad smile she received was all the answer she needed.

The few hours went by quickly as Jess soon found herself saying good bye. To each of the three men she gave a hug of good luck for their adventures. There were so many times she wished she could live that life of danger. Was the path of a stable, grounded doctor right for her? Some kind of fire resided in her that kept telling her no. Crazy; Jess shook it off.

"Now Jess," Lupin whispered while the young woman gave him his hug, "you know if something happens like last time you just…"

"I know. Don't worry. By the way, that's adorable." With a smirk and a wave she sent them off. "Wait Jess," she thought to herself, "wait till they can't see you anymore before you go in the house. No, no, don't check your watch. Keep watching them. Don't let them catch on."

"Does something seem off?" Lupin asked his comrades about 2 miles into their journey.

"Yea, you too?" the gunman responded. "I've been getting a feeling something's up."

"It's Jess; she embraced us when she said goodbye. It's out of her character," the samurai in the back seat remarked. The men were quiet for a moment. It was just a fluke. The most probable cause had to be because she didn't want to be left alone again. Yea, that's it.

The three men were partially right. With the last dust particle settled from the leaving car, the young woman walked slowly into the house. Glancing down at her watch she noticed she had an hour before the taxi would arrive.

"If I expect to make North Dakota tonight, I better get my ass into motion," Jess thought to herself.

While many would consider the destination of a cold desolate state in the middle of the prairie to be just ahead of going to hell, the brunette saw in that state all her heart. Her family was there, and while she wouldn't be able to visit them Jess would at least be able to stand in the middle of the open grassland one more time. The Midwest seemed more of a home than Virginia. This escape was to be her grandest. She just wished she could tell her conscience to shut up.

Ascending the stairs, tracing her steps she had taken before, Jess had everything planned out. Packing was already done; she pulled the suitcase from under the bed she had just been sleeping in. It's amazing he never found it. Next thought was to make the bed quickly. The brunette knew he would be angry; maybe her slight attempts to keep things neat would appease him a little. Time check: 15 min till the taxi came. Just enough time to do her finishing touches.

Today she would be revealing her alias: Jane Moses. Jane was close enough to Jess so that she would respond when being addressed and the last name was simply chosen because like Abraham, it came from the Bible. But, further explanation is unnecessary as she had to play the part. Passport and other papers in hand, the young woman stepped outside the house. Her normal loose thick locks were tied in a bun with but a few strands flowing free. She traded the usual tank top and jeans in for a Chanel dress suit with a slightly eye brow raising skirt. With a pair of over-sized sun glasses she was able to top off her disguise.

"You're late." The taxi driver had arrived only but 5 minutes late, but this was unacceptable if she was going to get to the airport on time.

"Sorry, there was a turned over cart and…"

"It's of no concern, let's just get going." Jess bid adieu to the lovely chateau. "I'll be back soon," she whispered, "please just let me have this one last escape."

At the same spot many hours later, the familiar trio of criminals arrived. The robbery had been a success and spirits were high as the painting was known to fetch a very high price on the Black Market.

"Oh Ms. Abraham, we're home!" the exuberant master thief boomed upon entering the house.

"Um, Lupin." Goemon indicated to an envelope on the kitchen counter. The men were always eating; Jess knew they would find her letter sooner or later. "It's her handwriting."

"Ah, did our little escape artist leave again?" he inquired picking up the letter. The other two men took spots behind Lupin's shoulder as he read aloud the following:

_Dear Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon,_

_While I am not ungrateful for all the things you have done for me, I found that I had to leave one last time. Please don't fret as I will return in a week. As to where I am going I can not say as it would defeat the purpose of an escape, now wouldn't it? I ask that you not be angry with me and to not worry as I have taken all the proper paper work with me. I love you all a great deal. _

_Jess_

_P.S. Sorry Jigen, I'm going to have to take a rain check on that promise I made this morning. I plan to keep it._

"Yea, that's not the only thing she planned," the marksman snarled. "She obviously had been plotting this friggin' escape for a week at least."

"Even with the most rational intentions we do some of the most foolish things. With that, she has a high chance of being caught," the samurai added.

"I knew it would have to come to this. Don't worry; she'll be home sooner than she expects men. Jigen, get ready to leave. I'm sending you for a very special pick up." Lupin picked up his cell phone and set his plan in motion.

In a time zone quite far away from three men, a very tired Jess arrived at her destination. The small house, her grandma's old house, it smelled of so many familiar things. Dropping her suitcase by the door, she wandered through every hallway and room touching objects just to make sure they were real. Her tour ended with a flop on the couch.

"This feels wonderful," Jess mused to herself, "but it doesn't feel right. Everything I do doesn't seem right."

From her pocket she produced the phone she guarded with her life. Being a camera phone, she went to pictures and did the usual flip through of pictures she had taken from her previous life in Virginia.

"What am I doing?" the brunette thought as she continued to flip, "this just makes me feel worse." And yet she kept going until the very last picture. But the final one wasn't of Virginia; it was of her new friends, her new family. That was it. All her life she had wanted to escape from Virginia and she had it. "What have I done?" That question wasn't answered, though, as the phone in her hand began to buzz.

"Hello?"

"Oh hey, how's North Dakota?"

"Lupin? Wait, how did you know I was in North Dakota?"

"I'm sorry, but we've always known you were a flight risk so..."

"You say it like I'm a criminal."

"Well, in essence you are. I mean, there is a reward out there for your capture and all. Not as high as mine, but you have time to work on that. Anyways, as I was saying, we know where you are because we put a transmitter in your phone."

"Is everyone mad at me?"

"No, I'm actually quite impressed that you were able to do it without any of us catching on. Although, I would recommend you work on your good byes, almost gave yourself away. I can't really speak for the other guys but Goemon seems disappointed and Jigen is walking around like he just got bitch slapped. Although, I'm not quite sure if that's in reaction to you leaving or if he's just being moody again."

"I…I want to come back."

"You went through all that trouble and want to come back? You're losing your touch."

"I just want to come back; that's all."

"Awww, you missed us! I knew letting you go was a good idea."

"What? Let me go? I left on my own without you guys knowing…"

"Ah, not quite my sarcastic beauty. I said you did well until the good bye. I realized you were going to leave, but I didn't say anything as I thought it necessary you did a little soul searching of your own."

"That's uncharacteristically wise of you."

"Ha, thanks, I think. Anyways, I'm sending someone to get you tomorrow.

"Would you have sent someone to get me if I said I wanted to stay?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't have told you."

"Oh, hahaha, good call. You're like the brother I never had…or wanted."

"Don't say that; I still want to think of you as a sexual object."

"Oh, OK. You can just stay my friend then. I'll see you soon. Bye."

By that time, Jess was feeling fully jet lagged and exhausted from her flight. Knowing Lupin, she knew she would be going home tomorrow. It was the right thing to do, but there her mind went again in all directions. The couch she had merely been lounging on soon became more and more comfortable as sleep overtook.

"What the…?" Squinting her eyes at the clock, the brunette saw that it read around 4 AM. "Why is my head pounding?" With a hand to her forehead, Jess sat up. "O well, f-ing A…it's the door, not my head." Drowsily walking to the door she ended her tirade with, "Couldn't you just have waited till morning!" Peering with one eye through a crack in the door she got her answer.

"No, I couldn't friggin' wait…and apparently you couldn't either Ms. North Dakota." That teasing tone was one of the most welcomed voices to the young woman's ears.

"Jigen!" Jess leapt at the unsuspecting marksman and embraced him tightly. She was being uncharacteristically friendly again, but this time it didn't make him uneasy. By this point in his life he knew when women were being insincere and this wasn't it. "First off, you aren't angry with me?"

"No, I guess not. You really just need to cut this escaping nonsense out.

"Believe me," she whispered in his ear, "I don't have a need anymore to leave." She paused for a moment and then added with a grin, "But it was a pretty sweet escape, eh?"

"Yea, you know you got a package?" Following to the spot he pointed, Jess picked up the medium sized package she had failed to recognize when she arrived.

"It's for me and it's from Kim!" She flew inside dragging the extremely tired man in tow. "Do you have a knife, wait never mind, I have one." With a twist of the wrist the box was opened as she began shuffling through.

"How in the world did she know you were going to be here?" Jigen asked as he looked inside the coveted box.

"I told her, I mean I did plan this and all. Ah, a letter!" Aloud, Jess read the following:

_Dearest Senator Abe,_

"That's my nickname back home."

_As you can see I've sent you a package: D Full of everything you need to make where ever you are feel like home. It's been rough here without you (haven't seen much of "extreme" or "nice," so I'm beside myself with boredom!) In any event, I hope you're seeing all sorts of sights and buying me a ton of souvenirs!_

"Oh, crap. Haven't been doing that. O well." Jess continued:

_Singing Yatta and Melissa in the car just isn't the same without you and I know you feel the urge to combine and form FIRESTORM! Alright hobags, I miss you bunches and maybe (if a miracle happens) we'll be able to see each other sometime again._

_Your other insane half,_

_Kimmington – Lamb of Death_

_P.S. Hope you're having some good sex. If not then JUMP ON IT!_

"If that doesn't prove you're insane, I don't know what does. I think you should take her advice on the last part, though."

"Huh? Did you say something," Jess asked looking up from her box.

"No," answered the dejected man, "so what did she send that's so special?"

"Everything she sends me is special! Like…" Jess shuffled through the packing peanuts, "my conducting baton! I was a drum major, you see and…" but all she got was a blank stare. "Right, oh my goodness BATMAN!" She produced a small action figure of the super hero and hugged it tightly. "He was my first love."

"First? Who was your second; Spiderman?"

"Hahaha, perhaps. O my! Look a toy kangaroo for escaping purposes and a CD of my terrible Japanese music! Sorry about all this but there is but one last thing in here, I can feel it…oh." At the bottom of the box she found the most precious item – pictures. Her pure excitement turned to quiet as she could actually see the faces of her friends. "That's Kim," Jess indicated pointing to the girl in the marching band uniform next to herself. "That's Daddy," she added pointing to the next picture, "I know I'm an adult but I still call him that." Another pause. "I'm sorry; I'll look at them later. I'm actually extremely tired, you woke me up you know."

"Yea, well that doesn't explain what you're wearing." Jess looked down and realized she still donned the short skirt, although she had taken off the suit jacket and was just left with the white lacey tank top she had worn underneath. Putting her hands to her hair, she also realized she had left her hair up although it looked quite jumbled now.

"Oh my, well it's a very long story I guess. Wait; something I don't understand. How did you get here so quickly?"

"I left as soon as Lupin told me where you were."

"When do we need to leave?"

"Later tonight. The soonest flight we could get goes out of Minneapolis, so we need to drive…"

"That's a nine hour drive!"

"Yea, I know," the gunman put his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. "I rented a small pick up truck. We'll blend in better with it."

"When was the last time you slept?"

"The last time we were together." The brunette's eyes softened as she took his hand.

"Come on you, we both need sleep. There's a bed in the back."

"Are you really going to give up escaping?" Jigen inquired as he was led to the back room.

"It depends; will you give up chasing me down?"

"Jess…"

"Yes, at least I will try. I can't do this anymore. It's too lonely." With a flop they both landed in bed face up. The two looked up at the white ceiling for a moment. For our brunette it was just a moment of familiarity. The room was full of so many objects and smells that were tied to a memory, but what was odd was that the newer object, or more so person, in her life seemed familiar as well.

It's important to recognize the other person's side in this time as well, but his thoughts didn't run along the same trail. Instead he was worrying over leaving on time to make the flight and not being caught. While Jigen came off as a laid back individual, he was a nonstop worrier. It did put his mind slightly at ease, though, when he felt the female curves he knew so well push up against his side.

"Don't worry."

"I didn't say anything, how the hell can you tell?"

"I don't know; I just can. Try not to take life so seriously. You don't come out alive."

"Trying to make me laugh won't work."

"Well, what would?"

"You know," the gunman remarked with a smile as he removed his hat and loosened his tie, "I'd like to collect on that rain check you owe me." He leaned over the young woman as she tried to restrain a broad smile.

"I'm sorry," Jess teased, "are you coming on to me?"

"Practically…" But the dirty joke was lost on our leading lady as her mind became preoccupied with other, more exciting, things.

After their rain check, the two slept all morning and early afternoon. They would have in fact slept longer if a voice outside the house hadn't woken them up.

"Do you hear something?" Jess inquired as she sat straight up.

"Yea, you wait here," Jigen responded. He began to get up and walk out to see the cause of the commotion until he was stopped by the brunette still in bed.

"You may want to put some pants on," she exclaimed with a smirk.

"Oh, right."

Now fully dressed, the marksman made his way down the hall listening for the voice that had woken them up. There is was again, but why did it sound so familiar?

"Lupin I know you're in there! You come out right now or I'll break this door down!"

"Zenigata!" Jigen ran back to the room he had left Jess to find her dressed as well. Making the bed, she looked so pleased with herself that it seemed a shame to have to ruin it. "Jess, is there a back door? We need to leave now."

"Yes, but what is wrong?

"We've been found. Let's go."

The duo took up their things and made their way to the back door. Jigen had parked the truck in the back alley behind the house, but the trick would be getting to the main street without being seen. Such a feet wasn't the case though as they heard a 'I FOUND YOU!' behind them.

"I can't shake the guy," Jigen muttered staring at the rearview mirror.

The Inspector had followed them out the interstate, but not with his usual band of local police officers. Let's be fair, it was North Dakota, local police officers meant there was about 1 in every county…if you were lucky. The chase was dragging on and showed no means of letting up. The marksman stayed calm but Jess was breathing heavily. She had to do something.

"I have an idea. I know how we can get rid of him. Let me drive."

"What! Are you crazy? I'm going 90 MPH, you can't just switch…" but Jess was already moving over and shoving the gunman out of the driver's seat.

"Trust me."

"Famous last words…" but she didn't hear his remark as she took a hard right turn down one of the old farming roads. Up and down the dirt hills she went with the Inspector a ¼ of a mile behind her. The road seemed to go on forever until a fork in the path presented itself at the top of the present hill they climbed. "Which way?"

"Neither."

With that she took a sharp turn off road into a hedge row. The brush completely covered the vehicle, but that wasn't the end to the girl's plan as she jumped out of the vehicle immediately. Running forward into the brush she waved her hands around stirring up a hidden flock of pheasants. The shock sent the group of birds running down the left fork of the road sending dust every where just as the Inspector got to the top of hill. Seeing the dusty road he assumed the logical idea that that was the way the fugitives went and continued on at top speed in the said direction. Jess lay crouched in the ditch till she could no longer hear his car.

"What the hell was that? How did you know this was all here?" came a familiar voice behind her. Turning slowly she revealed a cut (due to the brush) and smiling face.

"Daddy took me hunting here. We'd park the car where the truck is now so people wouldn't bother us and the pheasants have always been there. I just knew…I just knew." She was fading into thought again and walked slowly back to the truck to let the memories flow a little longer.

A few hours had passed and since there was no sign of the exuberant detective, the two fugitives were at ease. Night had descended across the prairie and it was obvious they were the only one on the road.

"It's so dark out. Not a single headlight as far as the eye can see."

"Yea, it's kind of weirding me out."

"I rather like it." She paused for a moment to look at the far expanse of space and continued. "Would you mind if I slept a bit? Wake me up when it's my turn for driving."

"OK."

The young woman reached behind her to the back seat and pulled out a blanket from her suitcase. Wrapping it around her tightly, she lay down across the front cab seat and rested her head against the marksman's leg. With one hand she held the blanket and with the other she let lie on her companion's knee as a means of stabilizing her position so that she wouldn't fall off. Plus, it made her feel secure and safe. With the woman's mind lost in dream world, Jigen turned on the radio as a means of staying awake.

_Hold me closer tiny dancer_

_Count the headlights on the highway_

_Lay me down in sheets of linen_

_You had a busy day today_

"Well, that's just damn ironic." He looked down and smiled at the quiet dreamer. Even though they had agreed on driving in shifts, he didn't wake her up till they had reached Minneapolis.


	13. A Complicated Card

A Complicated Card

It was amazing how quickly things got quiet after the boys left. Everything around her was new again. Damn that stray dog feeling. It seemed wrong not having a permanent home, but for a year this little square of a room would be it. Sitting on her bed, she swung her feet like a child and fumbled the card in her hand. Her decision concerning it would have to wait.

"Oye, Jane! We're going out for dinner, you want to come?"

"Jane," Jess thought to herself, "that's right it's my 'name.'" Mustering her best fake enthusiasm she beamed a smile and replied with a "sure."

"Right, I just need to grab my friend down the hall. Be right back!"

"Uh huh." Jess really didn't care. By this point she was rather tired of introducing herself and pretending to be interested in others' stories. With her room mate gone, she had time to reflect on that morning. It seemed like ages ago and yet it had only been hours.

_**Earlier that morning**_

"That's all of it!" proclaimed the young brunette as she stared at her college pile. Hands on her hips, she surveyed her needed processions. "Damn, I have a lot of crap."

"Hey Abraham, I need to chat with you." That sultry voice of a woman could be none other than Fujiko. Her and Jess had mended their little tiff, but there was still a bit of resentment. The fact that she had showed up the day before was odd in itself.

"Abraham? Why do you all insist on calling me this?" With a flop, Jess landed on the nearest chair and waited to hear what was so important.

"Listen, I heard what you did."

"What did I do?"

"Your planned escape. Not many people can pull one by Lupin. I'm quite impressed."

"Oh, well that's nothing really. I shouldn't be commended for that. But, why the hell do _you_ care?"

"I'm glad you asked, although rather harshly, I have a proposition for you."

"What _kind_ of proposition? Listen, I'm not into chicks…" the now weary brunette asked. Ignoring the comment, Fujiko continued.

"Whether you like it or not, you have the skills and mind of a thief. No normal person could do what you did. You schemed and planned a perfect escape without the great Lupin III any the wiser. The fact that you were able to be accepted back by the boys is just testament to an untapped potential."

"So what? I'm going to medical school, not thievery school."

"Are you sure that is what you really want to do? I've been watching you and the longing in your eyes every time the men go off on of their jobs."

"I don't see why you give a crap." Jess prided herself on her poker face and the fact that Fujiko could read her so easily was making her uneasy.

"Here's the deal, I want to enter into a partnership of sorts with you. All you need is some training and…"

"Whoa! Why the hell are you asking me? You've never shown interest in working with others unless it is to your benefit. You can't be expecting me to believe I won't be used. Plus, you have betrayed the guys so many times and seeing as they are the only family I have now, I can't risk it."

"Fine, you want to know why? Here it is: As hard as it is to believe, I don't get along with women all too well. You're the first one that actually gave me a chance and the first one I could actually call a friend."

"A friend?"

"Yes, and I'm not going to pretend to not know what you mean when it comes to betrayal, but wasn't the stunt you pulled last week along the same lines?" The sarcastic girl was silent at having been called out on her escape. "But I know guilting you into something won't do. I want to offer you a chance to be independent. Just do the training it takes and if it's for you…well you make your own decision."

"Independent." The word seemed so unreachable. No obligations to others; do as she pleased. No, this all could turn bad. Fujiko had to be up to something. Not wanting to be completely impolite, Jess simply answered, "Let me think it over."

With that the young woman stood up and walked towards the kitchen. This wasn't really a subject she wanted to think about on the day she was going off to Oxford. So, like most girls who are forced to mull over a tough decision, Jess took out a large container of ice cream from the freezer and stood at the counter. Swaying back and forth to a song in her head, Jess let her mind wander with every scoop.

"It can't be possible that this offer is true," Jess thought to herself. "I have to go to medical school, I can't be a thief. It…it just isn't right. Right? What the hell, when did I start caring what was considered right?"

"Hey kid, what's wrong with you?" She felt a hand pat her on the back and looked up to see her partner in sarcasm smirking. Leaning on the counter across from Jess, Jigen watched the young woman as she methodically ate her comfort food.

"Nothing a pint of ice cream and I can't figure out. How about yourself? You've been moping around here like someone stole your gun."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know, you're cute when you're lying." Jess looked up from her sugary treat and peered under the brim of her counterpart's hat. "You aren't going to miss me are you?"

"Miss you? Why in the world would I miss someone who is stubborn, sarcastic, and gets herself into trouble all the time? If anything I should be glad you'll be gone." He waited for her usual witty quip but nothing came from her lips. For a moment the gunman thought he had finally gone too far until Jess looked up and responded with a broad smile.

"You know, I didn't hear you complaining last night."

"Hahaha, fair enough and if it makes you feel better, yea I'll miss you."

"Goodness, try not to say it like it's so painful."

"Well, I know I'll be experiencing a greater pain courtesy of your right hook if I didn't say it."

"Bullying men into doing my will; I like it."

Jess soaked up the simplicity of the moment. A year ago she would have never seen herself here. To diverge from her precious plan so much didn't seem so bad. In a matter of months she had gone from American nobody to international thief. Though to be true, the label of thief was thrusted upon her a bit unfairly. Yet, it didn't matter because with it came the friendship of three of the greatest men she had ever met plus a great consideration from one in particular. The man being referred to continued to stare at Jess across the counter as she reflected. The glances didn't go unnoticed and she returned the favor with a forward lean and a soft kiss on his cheek. One thing still stayed in her mind, though. Surely he would help her.

"Jigen," Jess moved to the other side of the kitchen island and inclined towards the marksman. "If I needed help with something, you would be there, right?" She lowered her head to conceal her eyes and began to trace her figure up his tie.

"What's wrong, is that guy back? If he is I'll take care of him for you…"

"No, no, it's not that." Closer Jess moved towards him until he felt compelled to rest his hand on her hip. "It's just that I'll be on my own and I was wondering if you could teach me how to defend myself…"

"You mean to shoot."

"Well, yea…" Looking up slowly she expected to see the usual smirk she had become so accustomed to, but instead what she got was a stern stare.

"Jess, no, I can't. Ask me anything else, but not that."

"I don't understand." Jess pushed herself away a bit as her relaxed features turned to slight anger. "Did I do something or say something?"

"No and don't friggin' yell."

"Then why not?"

"You're…you're too innocent. Listen, I don't want you to be getting involved in a business that could end up with you being hurt or worse." Jess' features softened again and she took a step closer to read him better.

"I'm afraid I don't really understand."

"I know you like being self sufficient, but the more you learn about what we do, the more at risk you become. I can't take the risk of losing you."

The young woman was completely taken aback. For as many times as men had told her that they loved her, it was nothing compared to what Jigen had just said. Like her, he wasn't one to express a sentiment freely, so the conversation that had just taken place left the brunette stunned. In return, she produced a small smile and wrapped her arms around the gunman.

"Don't worry about me then, OK?" Jess exclaimed in a muffle voice as she laid her head against his shoulder.

"Yea." He really didn't believe the girl who embraced him so tightly would keep from getting in trouble. It was her habit, plus she was stubborn as hell. But, would she be Jess if she wasn't that way?

Before he could think his way through it, the brunette had released her hold and began to walk away. The whole way she had gone about asking him worried the marksman a bit. It all smelled of something Fujiko would do. It was for the best that Jess was leaving, as hard as it was for him admit.

Back to the living room the young woman sauntered. She never looked back since she could feel the glances she was receiving behind her. Turning the corner, Jess came upon Fujiko just where she had left her. In her hand, the thief held out a card with all the information on her proposition.

"You were listening, weren't you?"

"All I'll say is that the offer still stands. You make up your mind from there."

Jess hesitated for a moment but finally took the card. Stuffing it in her back pocket, she walked upstairs. Taking the card wasn't a crime; she'd just think about it.

When Jess had made her assent to the second floor, another figure appeared behind the still reclining Fujiko.

"Lupin, I actually feel slightly bad about doing this to her."

"My favorite part was when you called her your friend. You know she trusts you about as far as she can throw you, but good touch."

"Shut up."

"You actually consider her a friend Fuji-cakes?

"She really is the only girl who gave me a chance, as short as it was. I agreed to do this for you because you said it would be to her benefit, but I'm not too sure she'll be thrilled if she every found out you set this all up."

"Asking her to come with us wasn't just a coincidence. Her escape to America just sealed the deal in my mind. She'd be a perfect addition to the group. Doctor, escape artist, and the only person I know to make Jigen act pleasant. All she needs is the training in fighting, but she's aggressive as hell so that shouldn't be a problem. As for her finding out, she can't."

"Why not?"

"You and I both know she'd high tail it out of here. Plus Jigen would shoot me, and I can't do much stealing if I'm dead. Either way, we need to leave. LET'S GO EVERYONE!"

_**To the present**_

Of course the conversation that occurred after Jess had left the room never graced her ears, but the card Fujiko had handed her still lie in her hand. As much as it hurt her to go against Jigen's wishes, she would make a call tonight to the number listed and she would begin training. But at the moment, there was a man standing in her doorway watching her.

"May I help you, sir?" A tall man with pitch black hair and green eyes had caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Arms crossed he wore a smirk on the face that looked like he hadn't shaven in a couple of days. Needless to say, though, he was easy on the eyes.

"You aren't from around here are you? You sound American."

"That's because I am, you don't sound English either."

"Scottish, and my name is Will Butler."

"Well Will, is it a custom to stare at unsuspecting Americans?"

"No, but you look about as miserable as I feel at the moment."

"Haha, what am I suppose to say to that? Thanks, you look like crap too!"

"Well, I'm glad you have the ability to smile, I was a bit worried there. It's just this place is making me slightly miserable."

"Are you tired of all the unusually friendly people too?"

"Yes, and for the life of me I can't remember a single name. What is yours by the way?"

"Je…Jane. My name is Jane Moses."

"Well, I'll make sure to remember that one. I live just a few rooms down. I can't help but ask, what is that you have in your hand?" He was referencing the card she held. Tucking it into her back pocket, she hid it form view.

"It's nothing, just a chance at a new path."

"Well, that's why we're all here isn't it? I don't suppose you're hungry?

"Yea, I think my room mate forgot about me so let's jet. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who foreign to this place."

"How about his," Will remarked taking linking her arm in his, "you watch my back and I'll watch yours."

"Sounds like an excuse for you to stare at my ass."

"That's all I ask."


	14. It's a Rapier!

It's a Rapier!

"There is no way I'm touching that."

"Well, I don't want to touch it either."

"Looks like we're screwed."

On a foggy morning in December there stood two pre-med students. The room was cold and only a streak of sunlight shown through the dusty window. The only thing colder than the room was the dead body that lay in front of them. On the chalkboard was written "Anatomy Final Today." The students in question were an easily recognizable duo to many on campus as the two were rarely seen apart. One was our familiar brunette who stood in a hostile stance while staring at the dead body. The other was her new found friend, Will, who too shared the same disgusted body position.

"Will, we can't let a dead guy defeat us."

"This is true. OK, I will buy your meals for the next week if you dissect him."

"What? No way! That might have worked when we just had the dead arm, but this is a whole…dead…person." The smell of formaldehyde was beginning to overwhelm the twosomes' nostrils as they both slightly gagged at the same time.

"Fine then, I'll pay for your meals for two weeks _and_ do your laundry."

"Although that just sounds like an excuse to see my underwear, I'll take it." Jess took the scalpel and cut into the dead man's abdomen and began the final. With every organ they came across she took it out and handed it to her partner to label.

"Couldn't you just have slept with the professor or something? It would have been a lot easier to get an A that way."

"Hell no! Stop trying to pimp me out."

"Hey lass, I'm just looking out for you. Neither of us are getting any."

"Tell me about it. It's been about 4 months and I'm going slightly insane."

"See, that's what I don't understand. Didn't you say you have a boyfriend or something?"

"Well, I don't know what the hell to call him. You must understand he's about as stubborn as myself when it comes to matters of the heart. We have something to the effect of an understanding more or less."

"Why doesn't he at least come and visit you?"

"His job has him traveling a lot."

"I see."

"I know you want to say something so just go ahead and say it."

"I'm not saying anything. I just find it rather odd that a guy wouldn't come visit the girl he fancies in a four month period. Even if he does travel a lot, that means his job pays well enough for him to get his ass over here and see you."

"Fair enough." The conversation had gotten to Jess a little. While she knew well enough that it wasn't safe for the men to come and visit her, deep down she'd wish they'd find a way. The fact that she couldn't tell Will these circumstances made it all the harder.

"Ah, love, I'm sorry. If you shut down on me all I'll have to talk to is this dead guy, and he's obviously not one for conversation."

"Haha, very well. So what are you up to tonight?"

"I was thinking of hitting the town. Seeing as Winter Holiday starts tomorrow I thought now would be an appropriate time to go wild. Would you care to join?"

"No, I have a prior engagement."

"O really? Anything this 'understanding more or less' man wouldn't think too highly of?"

"Actually, yes, but not what you're thinking. It's more a self-defense class…or something. Gross, what is this?"

"Gall bladder; is that where you have been going every other day? I feel like I'm being cheated on."

"What are you talking about? You leave me every other day for your precious fencing."

"Hey, the day someone insults you and you need your honor defended, it won't seem so 'precious.'"

"Guess what Will? I'm all out of organs! We're done!"

"Thank goodness, well have fun at your kicking ass and taking names class. Just give me a ring if you still want to do something later."

"I plan on it."

After turning in their finals, the two parted ways. For her part, Jess walked towards her dorm room humming one of many tunes and reflecting over the previous conversation. It was true, in the past four months she had never seen hide nor hair of her friends. Not even the phone brought the familiar voices to her ears. She knew they weren't dead, the news would mention the infamous gang every now and then, but they sure acted like she was. No, she wouldn't let it bother her.

"If I want independence so bad, I just need to accept a few things. I can't be jumping to conclusions anyways since I'll be seeing them tomorrow. Am I really talking to myself again?"

Upon reaching her destination, the brunette fell face first into her bed. Tonight was going to be rough. Since arriving in England, an instructor had been sent to teach and physically train Jess for the life she sought. The new work she took on was almost too much to handle at points, but time management had turned into her best friend. Being it the last night for a long while in Britannia, she knew her trainer was going to kick her ass. Her suspicions weren't far from the truth when she arrived at the assigned location 8 hours later.

"So what's the plan for tonight, sir?" Jess never knew his name and had resorted to just calling her trainer "sir."

"It's a winter final of sorts."

"I've had quite my fill of finals, but I guess another one won't hurt."

"You really don't have a choice. If you look behind me there's an obstacle course set up." Peering behind the mysterious man, the young woman saw the obstacle course in question. The snow that had begun to fall made a clear view impossible, but what she saw was quite massive.

"Looks like a cake walk," she remarked with cocky smirk.

"You won't be saying that after 5 hours of it."

"What?"

"You heard me. You are to run the course and then proceed to do 50 crunches and 50 push ups and then begin the cycle again. In fact, you aren't to stop till I return."

"You're leaving?"

"Yes indeed. You think I'm going to stay out in this cold all night? You must be nuts. Have fun, I'm going to grab a pint at the pub. See you in a few hours or so."

"Son of a bitch…"

Jess watched her trainer walk away into the darkening evening. Restraining her want to throw a snow ball at the back of his head, she turned around and sized up what was ahead of her. She knew he was trying to break her. Well, Jess wasn't going to let this guy think he could bring her down. Stretching her limbs quickly, she walked up to the first obstacle. Snow continued to come down steadily, but logic was out the window and the stubborn nature had taken over.

"Jessica…oh, Jessica!" After more than a few pints of beer, the trainer reemerged in the night. While he told her that he would be 5 hours, the drunken man showed up 7 instead. As he sauntered over to the area he had left her, the trainer jokingly called out the brunette's name. He had fully expected the young woman to have left after about a few hours of the intense work. What he found made him sober up fast.

"38…39…oh, you decided to come back." On the ground, her hands and feet completely covered in snow, Jess was counting her pushups. Her skin was completely pale just as her eyes contained ghostly dark circles. Although shivering, sweat rolled down her forehead but froze before it landed to the ground. "I told you I'd be here…" but that was the last thing she said before collapsing in the snow.

"Oye, you awake?" The trainer shook Jess but elicited no response. "Shit! Lupin will kill me if she dies." Options for the drunken man were slim. Taking her to a hospital meant having to explain what happened. It wouldn't look very good for a man out of his wits having to make up a good story on the spot. On top of it, he couldn't provide any care for her or knew of any friend of hers that could. Wait, that wasn't true. She was pre-med. Surely she had a friend who was pre-med too.

"Where are we? What happened?"

"I'm leaving you here…here." The trainer had taken Jess back to her dorm and had laid her on the front step. Handing her a cell phone he then began to walk away.

"I think I need help." Her body began to shiver uncontrollably again. Consciousness seemed like a fleeting idea.

"I…I can't do that. Just don't die, alright? I gave you a cell phone, please use it or I'll get killed! OK…bye." Seemingly more afraid of dying than the girl propped up against the door, the trainer took off in his car. If he didn't see her die, maybe he wouldn't be held responsible.

It was true, in her hand was a cell phone opened. For a trainer he was completely useless in training survivability…or courage. Jess wondered if it was worth trying as her hand was completely numb. The streets in front of her were completely bare and it seemed wonderfully peaceful to just die then and there in the snow. No, she was too stubborn to die.

"What the hell…who calls me at this time of night?" Wishing he had turned his phone off when he went to sleep, Will slowly emerged from his bed to see who it was. The cell happily indicated he had a new text message, but its contents were less than friendly.

"_Help – outside dorm"_

The only person who knew him well enough to call at that point in the night was Jane, Jess to the rest of the world, so Will assumed she had gotten drunk off her ass. He sauntered down the stairs chuckling at the thought of the usually in-control girl tripping all over herself, but when he opened the door he found less tripping and more of a cold heap propped up against the wall.

"Jane! Hey, wake up now!" Will shook her furiously till Jess' eyes opened.

"Will, hypothermia and exhaustion."

"I can see that plain enough love, what the hell happened? Actually, you can tell me later. Let's get you inside."

With a quick swoop, the young man took his friend into his arms. It was obvious how cold she was the moment he touched her. The fact that her hair and clothes were wet wasn't helping either. Small flakes of snow had plastered themselves to Jess' face as well and were now melting as she let her head rest against Will's shoulder. Luckily, the trek was not long and upon arriving at her room, they were able to enter without others seeing. Jess' room mate had already left the college as her finals were done a few days prior, which allowed for only two people to know what occurred. Laying her down on the bed, Will felt a bit hopeless especially as her eye lids began to shut again.

"You still with me? I need you to stay awake because I know you were paying much more attention in class." That was a lie; he wanted to keep her awake to make sure she was stable, plus it was Will who would pay more attention in class. Jess knew this but was in no condition to tease.

"Blankets…there, food…there, water…there."

"You know," Will remarked laying the last blanket on the young woman, "you aren't allowed to die. I quite forbid it."

"Why is that? Jess asked sipping some strange warm drink.

"Because then I'll have to dissect the dead things myself and that's just plain unacceptable."

"Good thing the reason you saved me wasn't because you are my friend or anything."

"Ah, there's the lass I missed." Like all the people Jess considered a friend, Will was apt at the art of sarcasm. The two were able to go at it for hours, but this moment wasn't quite right for one of those matches. Instead, they merely sat quietly by the light of a single lamp. The quiet made the two think about the current situation, which led Will to finally ask: "Okay love, I got you all safe here; you need to tell me what happened."

"Well, I think it's quite obvious that I haven't been going to a self-defense class. To be honest, I can't tell you why and what for, but I've been doing some training for the maybe in my life. Is it getting really warm in here?"

"Ah, no. Aren't you going home tomorrow as well? You can't get there in this condition."

"Yes, but 'understanding more or less' man is coming to pick me up. O no!"

"What's wrong?"

"He can't know what happened. He can't know! It'd break his heart…man, I suddenly feel so drowsy."

"It's probably because I put something in your drink to make you sleep. Don't worry, it's all safe, but you'll be out for a couple of days. Before you do drift off, though, I have an idea so you don't get in trouble. Take a sip of this."

"I don't know if I trust the liquids you give me anymore. What is it?"

"Whiskey…night night."

Right after taking a good gulp of the whiskey the brunette began to lean back and close her eyes. The narcotic had taken affect and took her to the land of nod. Will had taken the cup before she hit the pillow and pulled the covers over her shoulders to make sure she kept warm. Not sure if they would have unwanted visitors tonight, Will grabbed his only means for defending himself. And to think, she had been making fun of his fencing a half a day prior.

Sword in hand, the young man sat down in the crappy chair supplied by the college next to the sleeping brunette. She wasn't one of those people who looked happy or peaceful while she slept, more like she was listening to a boring conversation. He'd seen that exact expression plenty of times in the classes they shared. Will wondered about his good friend, though; wondered why she'd insist on keeping so many secrets. He had finally realized what the Lupin gang had found out a long while, she was hopeless independent.

Morning came quickly, mostly because both people in the room were out cold. For all his good intentions, Will was exhausted. In fact, he would have slept the entire morning if there hadn't been a knock on the door.

"What the…who's there?"

"Here's a better question," came a low tenor voice from the other side of the door, "who the hell is in there?"

Just as Jess had indicated the night before, her "understanding more or less" man had come to pick her up. The whole week leading up to this point had been one of complete anticipation on part of the gunman although he would never admit to it when Lupin hinted at it. He had just imagined the look on the brunette's face and her reaction at him coming early. At the moment, though, he wasn't liking the fact there was a male voice coming from Jess' room. The door finally opened and there the two men stood face to face.

"You must be her ride home; she's pretty gone at the moment." Jigen looked into the room and saw Jess completely knocked out, which led to a suspicious glance at the strange man standing in his pajamas with a sword.

"What the hell happened to her; and why the hell do you have a sword?"

"She got quite wasted last night and this isn't a sword, sir, it is a rapier."

"A raper! What did you say? I swear I'll kill you if…"

"No, this, the 'sword' is called a rapier."

"What would friggin' possess you to name your sword a raper? That's messed up man."

"Ra-pier," the fuming fencer muttered.

"Whatever." By this point Jigen had walked into the room and surveyed it from head to toe. The situation was sketchy but upon further inspection, it was quite obvious Jess had drunk something as her breath smelled like whiskey. Whiskey? She never drank the hard liquor.

"Let me help you carry her things down, or perhaps you want me to bring her down?"

"No," the marksman answered quickly, "no, I'll take her."

When all people and luggage were loaded, both men continued to stay silent. Each had an uneasy feeling about the other but of course would not voice anything on the subject. The only one to break the quiet was Will when he remembered the conversation him and the unconscious girl in the car had the day before.

"Listen, I don't know what you do for work, but paying her a visit every now and then wouldn't hurt." Jigen merely tilted his hat in response and got in the car. He wasn't quite sure what that whole scene was about but he'd wait till Jess was awake before he'd give her the 3rd degree on it.


	15. Good Bye

Good Bye

With a deep breath of the cool winter morning, a young woman finally awoke from an unusually long slumber. While the air was crisp, she found herself quite warm among the many blankets surrounding her. Her first glance was up at the ceiling where she realized she was no longer in her dorm, but the area was still familiar. The scent of the room itself tweaked her nose in such a fashion that her whole body out of muscle memory relaxed. Something was odd, though. She never slept on her back.

"Have a nice nap?" a low voice from the doorway inquired. Jess knew immediately who it was and upon hearing it and sat straight up. Unfortunately this action procured a headache from hell.

"Whoa, how long was I out for?"

"A couple of days. It seemed like you were in good hands though."

"Can you get me some water please?"

"Hey, did you hear what I said?"

"Yea, I was out for a couple of days."

"No, that you were…friggin' hell."

"What's your problem?"

"My problem? You're the one who had some guy half naked in your room!"

"Are you really going to argue with me right after I wake up? It's like you were waiting for it." At that moment Jess noticed the chair pulled next to the bed and the ash tray on the nightstand full of cigarettes. "Oh my goodness. First off, you shouldn't have been worrying about me because Will should have told you I'd be fine. Second, I can't believe you were smoking near me. If I smell like cigarettes I'll kill you."

"Is that his name? Will? I swear, if you and him…"

"We didn't do anything! He's the only friend I have there and that's all we are – friends."

"I don't trust him."

"You don't trust someone? That's new. If anything I should be suspicious of you and your globe trotting thievery life. How do I know if you're with a new girl every night?"

"You know that's a goddamn lie."

"How would I know? You all never so much as called me in the past four months."

"What the hell? You are so damn fickle. First you want to be left alone but then you get all friggin' mad when you're on your own."

By this point the headache had grown to enormous proportions as Jess put her head in her hands and began rocking back and forth. This wasn't what was supposed to happen on her first day back.

"Can you wait till I don't feel like dying to finish this?"

"Whatever…" With a sharp turn, Jigen left the room fuming. He was quite sure he could trust Jess, but it was other people he had a problem with.

Waiting for her antagonist to leave, Jess finally got up. She still had the headache, but lying in bed wouldn't get rid of it. Food was what was needed. Quickly slipping on something decent, she quietly walked the hallway to the stairs. Below her, she could hear familiar voices from the kitchen. But, upon hearing her name mentioned, she stopped.

"Apparently something happened that does not line up with Jess' story," came the first voice which was distinctly Lupin's.

"What do you mean?" asked the other sultry feminine voice – Fujiko.

"She didn't get drunk off her ass as was insinuated, more so she got hypothermia."

"Why the hell would she lie about it?"

"One; Jigen might have been able to put two and two together and figure out what she was doing. Second; she's stubborn as all hell."

"Lupin, call it woman's intuition, but I'm not getting a good feeling from doing this. If we're supposedly training her to be an ally, why do we have to be secretive?"

"Because she is one of those people who won't work with others till she knows she can take care of herself. It's a self preservation thing. One could easily tell from all the escaping she did at the beginning of the year…"

Jess couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were talking about her like something to be used and then thrown away. Had it been true that she had been played this whole time? Was the training just a set up to get her ready to be a part of the Lupin gang? Slowly backing up the stairs, Jess' mind raced. She had to leave. These people weren't her friends. No, she couldn't leave; they would just expect it and think 'typical Jess.'

"Calm down," Jess mumbled to herself. "Think rationally and slowly and all will fall into place." Upon reaching the top step, she spun around and ran back to her room. She had to think through this. Was she willing to be used, or let them think they were using her, or should she fight back? For now, some phone calls had to be made.

Now, it must be known that Lupin had the girl's best intentions in mind. It was true that if she found out, she would do something drastic, it was just how she was. The hard part was to have her feel part of the group and let her be on her own the same time. But, just as training a wild horse is near impossible, so was this endeavor. A lone wolf by nature, Jess wanted so bad to be a part of something, but in the end she would always feel trapped and leave. Hypocritical maybe; but her only goal was to go against her natural tendencies and follow her heart. Sadly, it was her instincts that would kick in when faced with a sudden situation as this.

The days turned into weeks, though, and there was no reaction from the brunette. In fact, she kept her peace and acted as if she had never heard the conversation. These men had taken her in, so it seemed only logical she should give something back by being a real member. She had to do her duty.

"Is it pretty bad out there Abraham?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. I'm not sure if I can make it to town today."

The young woman stood in front of a large window in the living room watching the snow fall from the sky. Everything was covered in a veil of white aside from the sky, which maintained its murky grey appearance. Her breath would leave little bits of fog on the glass, but her focus was the blanketed road. Behind her sat Lupin, reading the paper in a very intellectual fashion but watching the girl as she crossed her arms and leaned closer to the window.

"You're not going to attempt going out there are you?"

"I think I might." Jess turned around and grinned. "Sounds like a challenge."

"She's gone insane," Fujiko remarked from the corner of the room.

"Oh no, I already was insane. Now it's just a matter of tempting my fate." With her proclamation made, she walked slowly away from the window to find her coat. Being inside all the time was making her stir crazy, so it seemed quite necessary to make a run into town. They were already low on food and because the people of town were already used to seeing Jess during the summer, she was the safest bet to go without being spotted. Now, where was that coat? Upstairs was the first to be searched.

"Are you looking for something?" Jess spun around to see the usually silent samurai right behind her.

"Yes, my coat."

"Surely you aren't going out."

"I need to get of the house, I'm getting cabin fever…and don't call me Shirley." She turned around to continue her search but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait."

"What?" Jess turned back around and looked straight up to see Goemon staring straight into her eyes. Was he trying to piece her soul with that glare? Those light brown eyes of hers – they were defiant; they were angry. "Stop that."

Releasing the grasp he had on her shoulder, Jess walked away weary of what just happened. He had been acting odd around her all this past week. Constantly following her with his eyes; never saying so much as a word. It was this behavior that caught Jess off guard when he asked what she was looking for. But, like all things, she shook it off and continued on her search.

Of course all things are in the last place you looked, and in this case, the last place she looked was the kitchen. On a chair laid the item that she had been seeking, but it was sitting who was sitting on the chair beside it that caught her attention. Back facing her and a cloud of smoke above his head, Jigen hadn't noticed she was there yet. They still hadn't finished their "discussion" about Will so the two of them hadn't spoken much since then. She wasn't going to tell a lie and say it wasn't killing her to have him so angry with her, but this was a two way street.

It was time to make amends, so the brunette walked up with confidence and put her arms around the marksman. Leaning her head against his shoulder, he knew exactly who it was.

"Have you taken to startling me?"

"No, I know scaring people, namely me, is your job."

"It's not my fault you leave the safety on each time."

"Hmmm, true enough. Obviously I fail…at life."

"I don't know," Jigen remarked turning around with a smirk on his face, "you can do that one thing with your hips when I…"

"OK! That's a secret between you, me, and the bed."

The two shared a mutual smile with Jess' being a little more embarrassed. She had seen him give the cold shoulder to Fujiko plenty of times, but he'd always given her a chance to make things right. This was usually due to the fact that Jess was being sincere and Fujiko mostly just wanted something. But for now, the two were silent until the inevitable question came up.

"Did you come to finish what we started?"

"Yea, listen: I can't tell you anything but the truth. While it looked weird and I would have probably gone off on you too if it had been the reverse, we didn't and haven't done anything. In fact the closest we have come to anything is talking about how neither of us were getting any action."

Jigen didn't say a word and merely continued to smirk at the brunette. It wasn't often she apologized, although he was quite sure she'd never say she was wrong; stubborn to the end.

"You're not saying anything just watch me squirm, aren't you?"

"You got it darlin'."

"You're an ass. I'm going now."

"Hey!" he exclaimed grabbing the young woman by the waist and sitting her in his lap, "come here."

"Listen you, I need to get going." Jess brought her voice down and then whispered with an eyebrow raised, "We can do _that_ later."

"Haha, no…but OK. Actually, I want you to promise me that I won't find any more friggin' situations like that, alright?"

"I'll do my best," she responded with a grin.

"Jess…"

"Fine; I'll do my best and I love you."

"Hey, that's not what I…what did you just say!"

"I said I need to be going! I'll see you later tonight."

Jess scampered off with her coat to the car in the garage. Behind her she left a baffled Jigen who had yet to move. Neither of them had said the three little words that usually define a serious relationship. All the time it was implied through actions and looks, but never said, they just weren't like that. But, he did make a mental note to return the sentiment when she returned.

"Jigen," a voice from behind the dazed man exclaimed.

"Huh? Oh, hey Goemon, what's up?"

"Do you see it?"

"See what?"

"The darkness that enshrouds Jess. There's anger that drives her. Reason and anger are a dangerous combination."

"I think crazy enshrouds you, man."

"Hmmmm."

The rest of the afternoon went by quietly as the snow continued to fall in soft chunks. The gray of the sky slowly turned to black as night took over and the chill of the wind began to pick up. Christmas was in a few days and the few decorations Jess forced the gang to put up around the house actually made the dreary day a bit cheerful. The entire group had made their way to the living room where a fire place roared and allowed the playful light to move across their faces. The silence was nice and the only thing that broke it was the ringing of a phone in the kitchen.

"Who calls at this time of night?" Lupin remarked as got up to answer the phone.

"It's probably Jess, I bet she got stuck in a snow bank somewhere," Fujiko chimed in.

"That or she began talking someone's ear off and got snowed in," Jigen responded.

The three members left in the room took turns hypothesizing the whereabouts of the elusive girl. Unworried about the possibility of another escape, they all had a good laugh about it. Her escapades were usually more elaborate than just leaving in a car. The entertainment stopped, though, when a pale Lupin walked back into the room.

"Jigen, can I see your gun?"

"Uh, yea man, what's up?" Jigen responded handing over his magnum and then sitting back down.

"Jess is dead."

The phone call that Lupin had received was from the local hospital. About an hour prior, an emergency had come in of a girl who had been side swiped on the slippery road and crashed into the guard rail. The damage had been severe and because the driver who hit her never stopped, she laid in the snow long enough to lose much of her heat. The people at the hospital knew to call Lupin for the lone reason that Jess had been such a regular in town and was know as "la femme qui a habite dans le grand maison" (the girl who lived in the big house.)

As for the reactions of the people in the room, the variation was extreme. For all her seeming distaste of the girl, Fujiko began to sob. Goemon stood up quickly and stormed out of the room muttering something to the effect of "I must transcend this." Lupin tried to stay calm and acted as council for the fuming Jigen who declared he wanted his gun back to shoot the bastard who hit her. After being unsuccessful in this endeavor, though, he continued his tirade to his room where he remained.

"Lupin, please go get him."

Time had seemed to stand still since the subtraction of the brunette. Christmas had even come and gone and no one seemed to care. Three days in fact had passed and it was time to leave for the funeral. The entire gang waited downstairs clad in mourning attire which seemed appropriate for the dreary weather outside. The only one missing was the man who wore the black suit everyday.

"I'll get him, just wait here."

As Lupin left to go upstairs, Fujiko shook her head. For one in her life she was actually worried about her tormentor. Not even he deserved this.

"Goemon," Fujiko remarked turning towards the stone faced samurai, "what if he doesn't come out? I walk by his room and every time I hear sobbing."

"No, you don't."

"No, I'm quite sure I do…"

"You don't understand. Men like him don't cry. You may hear it, but to your knowledge, he never did it, understand?"

"Oh, yes." While the conversation would have naturally ended, the two waiting by the door became quiet at the site of the marksman who walked slowly down the stairs with his best friend by his side.

"You got it man, just follow me," Lupin whispered.

"Hmmm."

A bit tipsy from the alcohol he had consumed, Jigen kept his focus as he descended the stairs. For three days he replayed every conversation and moment he had with Jess and with every thought came another shot of whiskey. That smile, those eyes: he would never see them again and it seemed a bit too much to bear. She was the only woman to gain his trust and his heart at the same time all while whipping off sarcastic comments till one of them would laugh. She had told him she loved him and he never said it back. Now he would never have a chance.

_**Kim, please don't hurt me too much. That's the end of Story the Second. Don't fret, though, life goes on and you'll see how in the sequel to this.**_


End file.
